Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz was taken to a St. Louis hospital after a foul ball hit him in the groin during Thursday’s matinee against the Cardinals.
Cardinals rookie Ben DeLuzio fouled a ball that happened to hit Ruiz in the groin during the second inning. Ruiz slammed his mask down while writhing in pain. He was checked by head trainer Paul Lessard and manager Dave Martinez.
Ruiz remained in the game until the sixth inning. He was replaced by Riley Adams, as the Nationals won the game 11-6.
Ruiz was taken to a nearby hospital because his testicles swelled up, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. The team waited for him to return from the hospital before leaving St. Louis for their next series in Philadelphia.
It’s unclear at the moment what is his diagnosis. But, it appears Ruiz is headed to the injured list as a result, according to Talk Nats.
The 24-year-old Ruiz is playing in his first full season with the Nationals. He was traded to Washington from the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the Max Scherzer and Trea Turner trade.
In 112 games, Ruiz is hitting .251/.313/.360 with seven home runs and 36 RBI.
