Gerrit Cole Injury: No. 1 Pick Of 2011 MLB Draft Hit In Face By Line Drive (VIDEO)

Star Pitching Prospect Nailed In Face By Line Drive

A short start is never a good sign for a pitcher. But it was nearly a horrific thing for Gerrit Cole, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, on Tuesday. Playing for the Altoona Curve (Double-A), the big right-hander out of UCLA was struck by not one, but two line drives in the very first inning. Despite taking one of these hot shots in the face, the 21-year-old is miraculously fine.

After surrendering a run on back-to-back singles with two outs, Cole was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of Harrisburg Senators outfielder Destin Hood. He hit the ground right away as his teammates and trainers rushed onto the field to attend to him.

Not only did Cole get back up but he stayed in the game. He was then nailed by a another line drive just two batters later. Cole then struck out the next batter to end the inning, but didn't return.

According to the Pittsburgh Pirates' Twitter account (the team that drafted him), a CT scan came out negative. The pitcher reportedly suffered only a jaw contusion and he will be available for activity just a day later.

Pirates fans can now let out a sigh of relief.

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