For a while, it was a freak accident shrouded in mystery, and what could be more interesting than that? The only information coming out of Pittsburgh’s PNC Park on Tuesday night was that Nationals relief pitcher Hunter Strickland had injured himself in the weight room.
As more details emerged, the picture became slightly more clear: A barbell had hit Strickland in the face, apparently breaking his nose but not keeping him from the mound for more than a day.
His Instagram post gave the most clues.
Barbell 1, Strickland 0
There are a few conceivable ways a barbell could strike your face in the weight room. Perhaps another player swung it around as Strickland walked behind. Perhaps it slipped as he tried to put it back on the rack.
Or perhaps he ran right into it? Whatever the case, Strickland seemed happy to blame himself, writing at the end of his post, “side note: barbell=1 me=0”
Broke nose never killed anyone. We have a playoff push so let’s keep it going @nationals This team is special!
*side note: barbell=1 me=0 @ PNC Park https://t.co/ewrK5Mc9VO— Hunter Strickland (@hstrickland43) August 20, 2019
Back in the saddle
The Nationals acquired Strickland from the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline, and he’s been very effective for them in August. As a National, Strickland has allowed one earned run in seven innings pitched, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out five.
Washington has had its share of bullpen struggles, so having Strickland healthy — if anything, he’ll pitch with some sort of mask, like you see basketball players do with a broken nose — as the Nats continue to make their playoff push.
Nationals reliever Hunter Strickland avoids serious injury during weight room mishaphttps://t.co/HlJ3ZJiYgR pic.twitter.com/Pzb0Yv2hxP
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) August 20, 2019
