Diaz taken to hospital after fouling ball off his face

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz had a stroke of bad luck come his way Monday when he somehow managed to foul a ball off his own face during the ninth inning of a contest against the Kansas City Royals.

After Royals pitcher Joakim Soria delivered an 89-mph fastball toward the plate, Diaz lunged at the ball as it took an odd spin and sailed upward into his face.

Diaz was immediately looked at by a trainer and forced to leave the game.

He was taken to hospital for additional testing, but the Cardinals don't believe he suffered a fracture to his orbital bone according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.

The 25-year-old rookie has been a surprisingly big part of the Cardinals lineup, hitting .312/.371/.514 with 10 home runs, 19 doubles, and 40 RBIs.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)