MILLIONS logo
Video poster

J.A. Happ suffers skull fracture after being hit by line drive

0 views18 Sep 2026
On May 7, 2013, Tropicana Field fell dead silent during a terrifying moment in a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Rays outfielder Desmond Jennings hit a blistering line drive straight back up the middle, striking Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ directly on the left side of his head. The violence of the impact sent the ball ricocheting all the way into deep right field as Happ collapsed instantly onto the mound. Medical personnel and visibly shaken teammates rushed to the mound, where Happ remained motionless on the dirt for over ten minutes. Players from both dugouts watched in distress as trainers carefully stabilized him before wheeling him off the field on a stretcher. Despite suffering a skull fracture and a severe laceration behind his left ear, Happ made a miraculous recovery, returning to the mound for Toronto later that same season.

Other Media Posts