Knockout blow ‘stunned me,’ but Piscotty says he’s cleared to play

Stephen Piscotty was feeling fine Wednesday morning after a rough circuit around the bases Tuesday night in which he was hit by the ball three times, including once in the head.

Piscotty, the St. Louis Cardinals’ right fielder, passed all concussion tests and could be available when the Cardinals conclude their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at 12:45 p.m. Thursday.

“I just got checked out by the doctor and cleared,” Piscotty said. “I’m not sure what Mike (Matheny) has planned for me, but I feel like I’ll be ready.”

Piscotty was not in Matheny’s projected lineup for the game Wednesday afternoon, which was postponed by a forecast calling for severe weather.

Piscotty was hit on the right elbow by a 3-2 pitch from Jake Arrieta with one out in the fifth Tuesday. One out later, Piscotty broke for second on a wild pitch and was sliding into the bag when he was struck in the left elbow on a late throw from catcher Willson Contreras.

Kolten Wong then hit a roller to the right of the mound. Arrieta was unable to reach the ball, which instead went to a charging second baseman Javier Baez.

Baez was unable to make a clean pickup, and the ball rolled behind him as Wong reached first. Piscotty continued home as Baez recovered the ball. Baez’s throw nailed Piscotty in the left side of his helmet as he slid safely across to cut the Cardinals’ deficit to 2-1.

Piscotty lay motionless on the ground for a couple of minutes before being assisted off the field. He left the game and the Cardinals said later that Piscotty suffered a head bruise and would be re-evaluated Wednesday morning.

“I think it stunned me,” Piscotty said. “I wasn’t expecting to get hit. I wasn’t sure if I had gotten hit. I wasn’t sure if it was a collision with the catcher or what happened. It just kind of stunned me. (I’m) not sure I had much of a concussion, if any. They were saying it was a contusion, so it kind of just got my checkbone here a little bit. It checked out pretty good, actually.”

Piscotty said the trip around the bases was like no other he has had in all his years playing baseball.

“I haven’t seen that before, and to actually live it was pretty crazy,” he said. “I’m glad I’m OK. It was hard to believe the events.

“I definitely didn’t black out, but I was stunned and didn’t realize what happened. After a few seconds, I just kind of figured I got hit in the face or something. But thankfully that helmet flap was there and took most of the force of it.

“It was hard to believe that it happened in one trip around the bases. After it was over and what not, it’s kind of funny to look back on since I’m OK. But yeah, it’s something I’m not going to forget.”

Piscotty said the concussion protocol involved a “bunch of questions, some memory (things).”

“I have to say certain words and number sequences in reverse order,” he said. “(They) ask silly questions like who you are, where you’re playing, that type of thing. And then some balance stuff. It’s pretty extensive.”

Piscotty has not driven a car since the injury. Randal Grichuk gave him a ride home Tuesday night and Piscotty’s dad and girlfriend were with him Thursday morning.

Piscotty on Monday signed a six-year, $33.5-million contract that will keep him with the Cardinals through the 2022 season. The Cardinals have an option for 2023.

This story was originally published April 5, 2017 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Knockout blow ‘stunned me,’ but Piscotty says he’s cleared to play."