It's been a rough few days for the leaders of professional sports teams, as Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz and Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar were both struck in the face by their sports' respective projectiles during live game action.
As reported by Sports Illustrated, Albernaz had no chance to get out of the way of a foul ball off the bat of right-handed-hitting Baltimore second baseman Jeremiah Jackson on Monday night. The ball caught Albernaz squarely in the cheek while watching the action from the Orioles' dugout along the first-base line at Camden Yards. He was helped into the clubhouse by a trainer where he was examined by medical staffers.
"Players and managers in the dugout, particularly those that tend to sit up close to the action along the railing, run the risk of getting hit by foul balls, like Albernaz just did, due to limited protection," Karl Rasmussen of SI wrote. "Just last season in a road game against the Rays, Adley Rutschman hit a foul ball that caught pitcher Hunter Bigge in the face. Bigge needed to be stretchered off the field and was left with multiple fractures in his face."
Albernaz returned to the Orioles bench less than an inning later, albeit with a noticeable bruise on his face.
Bednar was not as fortunate. As reported by Ryan Gaydos of Fox News, Bednar was struck in the face with a puck on Saturday night during Colorado's 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena in Denver. The Avalanche said that Bednar suffered facial fractures and a corneal abrasion, will miss the rest of the regular season, but is expected to make a full recovery without surgery and be back on the bench for the NHL playoffs.
Nolan Pratt and Dave Hakstol will likely coach the team for Colorado's final two regular-season games.
"It’s certainly a little unnerving. It’s scary when the pucks are flying in there," Pratt said after the game, as reported by Fox. "It happens all the time, and unfortunately tonight, so it takes a little second to sort of recalibrate and then get back to it."
