Vogelsong visits Pirates after leaving hospital

Ryan Vogelsong couldn't be kept away from the ballpark for long.

Three days after he was hit in the face by a pitch, and just hours after being discharged from the hospital on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander stopped by PNC Park to visit his teammates. He and his wife, Nicole, stayed to catch some of his team's 8-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Nicole tweeted that her husband came "straight from the hospital to the game." He later returned to Allegheny General Hospital for an appointment.

The Pirates were thrilled to see the 38-year-old in the clubhouse, even if it was only for a brief moment.

"He got the message to (Francisco) Cervelli that he wanted to get to the guys and to be able to come here and see 'em today, and it was really good for everybody," manager Clint Hurdle told Chris Adamski and Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune. "It's been heavy on our hearts, heavy on our minds - a lot of prayerful support."

Related: Vogelsong in stable condition after terrifying pitch to face

Vogelsong had to be carted off the field after taking a 92-mph fastball to the face from Colorado Rockies starter Jordan Lyles on Monday, and was placed on the disabled list with facial fractures. Pirates head trainer Todd Tomczyk told MLB.com's Adam Berry that Vogelsong escaped "significant damage" to his eye.