Freddy Fermin Takes Two Foul Balls to the Face and Somehow Walks Away Clean

San Diego catcher Freddy Fermin got absolutely drilled in the head not once, but twice during the Padres' Wednesday matchup against the Mariners at Petco Park, and somehow managed to avoid a concussion. The guy got hit so hard he went to his knees, but the tests came back clean. That's either the luckiest guy in baseball right now or the toughest.

The Hit That Ended His Night

Fermin took the first foul ball off his mask in the second inning, but he stayed in the game. Then in the top of the third, it happened again. Brendan Donovan fouled a 1-1 pitch from Randy Vasquez directly between Fermin's eyes. The catcher went down to his knees. Game over.

Padres manager Craig Stammen came out with the trainers, they worked him through the protocol, and Fermin eventually walked off under his own power. "Took him back, tested him, no concussion stuff going on, but just a head contusion," Stammen said after the game. "It just feels like he got hit in the head. Luckily it's not a concussion at this point. All the tests came back negative."

Luis Campusano took over behind the plate for the rest of the game. Fermin hadn't even batted yet in the first two innings when he got sent off.

A Rough Start to the Season

Fermin's already been struggling early this season, hitting just .161 with no home runs and two RBIs through 15 games. Getting knocked around in the field wasn't exactly what he needed right now.

When Fermin left the game, Seattle was up 2-0. But the Padres weren't done yet. San Diego came roaring back with five runs in the bottom of the ninth to steal a 7-6 victory from the Mariners. That's baseball, I guess. Sometimes you get hit twice and walk away lucky. Sometimes you're up by four and lose anyway.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.