Aroldis Chapman expected to recover fully after being hit in head

Aroldis Chapman will be out for the next two months with facial fractures. (Paul Sancya/AP)

Good news for Aroldis Chapman and the Reds: Doctors expect Cincinnati's closer to make a full recovery after last night's scary incident in which he was hit in the face by a line drive. According to Cincinnati team doctor Tim Kremcheck, Chapman will undergo surgery to repair a fracture above his left eye and be out at least six-to-eight weeks, but is a "very lucky guy" that his injuries weren't more serious. Kremcheck added that Chapman could "absolutely" return to the mound this season.

In addition to the fracture suffered when he was struck by a ball off the bat of Kansas City' Salvador Perez, Kremchek said that Chapman received a mild concussion, but noted that he avoided injury to his brain or his left eye. A plate will be inserted to help the break heal, and Chapman will likely stay at the hospital until Saturday. Recovery is expected to take roughly two months, but Kremchek cautioned that Chapman would likely not be able to begin pitching immediately after that six-to-eight week timetable.

Despite the injury, Reds manager Bryan Price and catcher Brayan Pena, who was behind the plate when Chapman was injured, said that Chapman was in good spirits the morning after.

https://twitter.com/johnfayman/status/446680861212016641

Presumably, those Cuban jokes are all variations on how many capitalist pigs it takes to change a lightbulb.

Pena and Price were joined in their visit by Perez.

https://twitter.com/ctrent/status/446686330584440832

Jonathan Broxton

J.J. Hoover

Sam LeCure