San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola was forced to leave Sunday's Cactus League game after being hit in the face by a pitch from Chicago Cubs right-hander Michael Fulmer.
(Video source: MLB.com)
Nola held a towel to his face as he was carted off the field.
The ball caught Austin Nola’s nose. Melvin did not have much of an update. They were trying to stop the bleeding.
— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) March 19, 2023
Melvin can’t imagine the nose didn’t break but status TBD right now.
The 33-year-old is entering his third full season as a member of the Padres. They acquired him in a trade with the Seattle Mariners in August 2020.
Nola hit .251 with four home runs, 40 RBIs, and 15 doubles in a career-high 110 games last season. He was off to a strong start in spring training, hitting .333 with a .944 OPS over 27 at-bats.
