⚾ How Kevin Pillar Has United The MLB Community

Kevin Pillar’s injury has caused some serious lingering concern about safety in baseball. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: There seems to be a growing school of thought among managers that something needs to be done surrounding safety precautions in Major League Baseball ... we take a look at which NBA stars are facing the most pressure in the playoffs ... and we are treated to a must-see photo of Falcons running back Mike Davis. Kevin Pillar is not a famous guy, he’s a tough guy. He’s not a superstar on the New York Mets, but he’s one of the group, a valued member of both roster and clubhouse, a guy to be relied on for effort and wise words and the right kind of example. He’s a career .262 hitter and he’s a friend to many. It’s been that way everywhere he’s played during a Major League Baseball career that’s on its fifth stop, even the places where his stay was brief. Which is part of why an incident that would have been scary and shocking no matter who it happened to, reverberated even more strongly this week. Pillar, 32, has unwittingly united baseball behind him. The Mets outfielder was readying to face Atlanta Braves pitcher Jacob Webb in the top of the seventh inning on Monday night when Webb uncorked a 95 mph fastball, but lost control of it. It flew high and inside, an unstoppable missile headed straight for Pillar’s face, dropping him immediately into the dirt. Blood spurted from his nose, which was broken in multiple places and will require surgery. A stunned hush fell over Atlanta’s Truist Park. There was so much blood they had to disinfect the soil. It was terrifying. [STORY IMAGE 1] As it came apparent that Pillar — while obviously far from “OK” — was able to leave the playing area under his own steam, baseball drew breath. Messages of support came pouring in. The days since have provided the opportunity for reflection, and some serious lingering concern. Baseball remains a sport that is both time-honored yet utterly modern. The traditions and customs of the game remain rooted and revered, yet certain elements of how it is played are evolving at warp speed. Strikeouts have been surging like crypto, with the exception that strikeouts didn’t tank this week. Players are throwing harder than ever, and the desire for extra speed is at an all-time high. And thus, batters are getting hit more frequently. The hit-by-pitch rate is now up to 0.46 per game, the loftiest mark in the modern era. That represents a 28% increase from 2017 and correlates to a rise in the number of pitchers who can throw an average fastball of at least 95 mph, namely 22% of the league’s arms. Often, when the ball strikes a batter, the contact is mild or incidental. But not always. “Not all (pitches) shatter noses, strike cheekbones or injure wrists,” [wrote USA TODAY’s Gabe Lacques](. “But baseball is a game largely of probability … there is a growing concern more players could end up in ambulances rather than shaking it off and ambling to first.” [STORY IMAGE 2] Lacques spoke to Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi, who admitted he screamed at the television as he watched the Mets-Braves game at home. He surely wasn’t the only one. Even watching it now on replay, knowing what is coming, sends a chill down the spine and makes you flinch. There are different parts to the story. There is Webb, the unfortunate pitcher who meant no malice and was visibly shaken by what transpired. “This is the first time I’ve had an incident like this,” Webb told reporters. “It’s tough. You never want to hurt a fellow competitor. It’s definitely tough moving forward.” He and Pillar have met and texted, the batter reassuring the man whose fireball cracked him open that there is no ill-feeling. “I’m almost more worried about him than I am myself,” Pillar said. “I saw his reaction. I know how tough that can be when someone feels responsible for someone getting injured.” [STORY IMAGE 3] Then there is the impact on baseball, generally. Hitters wouldn’t be human if they weren’t affected by what they had seen. The Pillar incident follows on from the Phillies’ Bryce Harper being struck on the cheekbone by a recent thunderbolt from St. Louis Cardinals lefty Genesis Cabrera. There seems to be a growing school of thought among managers that something needs to be done. No one knows quite what. Does it come down to protective equipment measures or more subtle tweaks that deal with how teams are handling their farm system? Simply put, pitchers are being brought up quicker and more is being asked of them. Accuracy is going to be affected in such scenarios. Good luck finding a fix for that. The final piece to this week’s puzzle is Pillar, who has worn his plight manfully and become truly beloved within the sport because of it. [STORY IMAGE 4] On Tuesday, Pillar marched into the clubhouse and said he wanted to play. The Mets won’t let him, of course, and he’s now on the 10-day DL. But he’ll probably be back some time in June, maybe wearing a protective mask. The season is still young but that one dramatic moment has left the sport with a lot to deal with. Pillar’s injury is a warning and an acknowledgement that baseball is a tremendous sport, but not a soft one. There are issues to be addressed, an ongoing worry to hopefully solve and, thanks to Pillar, a reminder that for all its competitive ferocity, baseball cares about its own. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Will Laws, Sports Illustrated: “Perhaps the answer is to mandate some sort of extended face mask for hitters, similar to the one (Giancarlo) Stanton uses. Perhaps it’s moving back the mound a few feet to give players more reaction time ... Whatever it is, it’s time to stop waving this away as part of the game and look for a solution before someone else gets seriously hurt.” Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves Manager: “That's about as sickening as a thing as you can see on a baseball field...this guy is nothing but a pro the way he carries himself, how he plays the game.” Jeff Mathis, Atlanta Braves Catcher: “Nobody in the ballpark thought he (Jacob Webb) was trying to do that on purpose. He felt terrible.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - Which NBA stars are facing the most pressure during the playoffs? [Colin Cowherd breaks it all down with his latest version of “Herd Hierarchy.”]( - In his first power rankings of the MLB season, [FOX Sports MLB Writer Ben Verlander has one AL Central team on top, and another at the bottom](. - Can the Warriors force the Lakers to the brink? [FOX Sports Betting Analyst Sam Panayotovich is all in on Steph Curry props.]( [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Every day is leg day for Mike Davis! Check out this photo of the Atlanta Falcons running back, which surfaced on social media Tuesday morning. Look are those thighs, are you kidding!? Davis is expected to compete for the Falcons starting running back spot this upcoming season. After seeing this photo, it’s safe to say that Mike Davis has a LEG UP on the competition! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) DeMar DeRozan and the San Antonio Spurs take on Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET) Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors go up against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Play-In Tournament. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs: UNDER 8.5 Major League Baseball fans should be treated to an outstanding pitching matchup on Wednesday as three-time Cy Young Award Winner Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Washington Nationals, who go up against Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs. Scherzer currently sports a 3-2 record and a 2.10 ERA, while Arrieta has a 4-3 mark and a 4.10 ERA. Neither of these teams score a ton of runs either, as the Nationals rank 27th in MLB in total runs this season, while the Cubs rank 11th. In other words, look for this game to be a low scoring affair. [WHAT THEY SAID] “Every great batter works on the theory that the pitcher is more afraid of him than he is of the pitcher.” — Ty Cobb [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2021 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900