Twins' Balazovic had mouth wired shut after 'sucker punch' from stranger

Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic said he had his mouth wired shut after suffering a broken jaw during an altercation with a stranger on Feb. 11 in Fort Myers, Florida.

"I went out, it was our last off day before spring training, and then the next thing I know, I got hit," Balazovic said, according to The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman.

"There wasn't really an altercation. I didn't say anything to the guy. I don't know the guy. And I ended up getting hit twice. They're looking for him, and that's all I can say."

Balazovic, who spent a night in hospital and underwent surgery, called the hit an unprovoked "sucker punch."

"I didn't see it coming," the 24-year-old said.

"I wasn't paying attention. I was walking, and the next thing I know, I got hit. Like I said, I don't know who the person is. Never spoke a word to the person. I can't say a whole lot on it, but it's a pretty shitty situation."

The former top-100 prospect said he didn't throw any punches of his own, and there are currently no legal issues stemming from the incident.

The Twins selected Balazovic in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. He struggled to an 0-7 record with a 7.39 ERA in 22 Triple-A outings last season after pitching well in the lower levels during the first five seasons of his professional career.