Brewers’ Varland OK after scary liner to hand, jaw
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SAN DIEGO — Milwaukee Brewers reliever Gus Varland was hit on the right hand and then his jaw with a 105.1 mph line drive by Manny Machado and came out of Saturday’s game against the San Diego Padres.
The scary moment came in the bottom of the eighth. Varland was knocked to the ground by the impact. He woozily got to his feet and dropped his glove as two teammates and a trainer rushed to his side. He was helped to his knees as he was tended to before being helped off the field.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell said X-rays were negative and Varland said he felt OK.
The reliever added that his hand actually absorbed most of the ball’s force and left his jaw mostly protected.
“I’m more mad about that slider location,” Varland said after the game. “It felt good out of my hand, it just didn’t get there. It came back at me, hit my hand and my chin and my left forearm. It just kind of rocked me a little bit. I felt fine though. I felt like I could have kept going but I think that’s the adrenaline talking there.”
“Don’t hang your sliders middle-middle,” Varland said. “Lesson learned.”
The ball caromed to shortstop Willy Adames, who threw out Machado.
The Padres led 8-3 at the time and won 10-3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
