Jose Alvarez, Philadelphia Phillies Pitcher, Takes 105 mph Drive to the Groin

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jose Alvarez had to be carted off the field after being struck in the groin by a line drive during Thursday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The incident happened in the fifth inning when Blue Jays’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a 105.3 mph line drive which hit Alvarez in the groin. Alvarez was still able to make the play and get Gurriel out but was not able to walk off the field.

A few hours later, Alvarez spoke to reporters about the incident. He was sent to the hospital, and the tests came back negative. “It was pretty bad,” he said via MLB.com. “Obviously, it hit me in my private parts. It’s a pain that’s hard to describe. But thank God, I’m feeling much better now. Everything was good in the hospital, nothing bad. Hopefully, I’ll be good in a couple of days.”

Phillies manager Joe Girardi said Alvarez will be with the team when they travel to Atlanta for a three-game series against the Braves. But it’s likely the reliever will miss a few days of action to recover, which is big considering he has a 1.42 ERA in eight appearances. Alvarez, 31, joined the Phillies last year. He finished the 2019 season with a 3.36 ERA in 67 games over 59 innings. Before joining the Phillies, Alvarez spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels where he had a career year in 2018, posting a 6-4 record with 2.71 ERA. He made his major league debut in 2013 with the Detroit Tigers where he made his first start in June of that year.

Despite the quality of play from Alvarez, the Phillies are off to a slow start to the 2020 season, posting a 9-12 record and on a three-game losing streak as a Friday afternoon. One of the big reasons for their struggles is the bullpen as they have an 8.07 ERA, the highest in all of baseball.

“We want to do a better job and everything. I think this game is about adjustments,” Alvarez said. “The guys we’ve got in the bullpen, some guys got a lot of experience. They know how it is about adjustments. We’ve got a month and 10 more days for the season. I think we’ve got a chance [still].”