New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte smoked the seventh hardest hit ball in MLB this season, but unfortunately it hit Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot, and he had to withdraw from the game.
During the second inning, Marte found the barrel on Pepiot’s 89 mph slider and sent it right back where it came from. Fortunately, though, it was a low line drive, but it smashed his leg and redirected it up the middle to third base.
Everyone for dishes was safe when Marte arrived first to load the bases. But no one was focused on the situation – only on the fact that Pepiot was fine.
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Ryan Pepiot of the Tampa Bay Rays delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the second inning at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on May 5, 2024. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
A Rays trainer immediately came to check on Pepiot, who was limping around the mound after getting up from the grass.
It looked like he was just trying to get by, so there was a possibility he would stay in the match.
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But after two warm-up pitches, Pepiot left the field under his own power early in the third and his day was officially over.
Ryan Pepiot of the Tampa Bay Rays delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the second inning at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on May 5, 2024. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Pepiot’s final line was two innings of work with three hits, three earned runs, three strikeouts and a walk.
The Rays diagnosed Pepiot with a left leg contusion after X-rays initially came back negative.
Pepiot pitched well for the Rays in his first season with the team after pitching 17 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers between 2022 and 2023. He had a 3.12 ERA over six starts (34.2 innings) on Sunday .
Ryan Pepiot of the Tampa Bay Rays leaves the field with manager Joseph Benge during the third inning at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on May 5, 2024. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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Pepiot is now considered day-to-day, and the Rays are certainly hoping he can return to the field for his next scheduled start.
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