Dodgers News: Austin Barnes Appears to Have Dodged Injury After Getting Hit By Pitch

The veteran catcher was drilled in the hand by a fastball.

Austin Barnes was forced to leave Thursday afternoon's victory after getting hit on the right hand/wrist area by a fastball. He initially stayed in to run for himself but Will Smith was catching by the time the Dodgers went back out on defense in the bottom of the inning.

Thankfully, it appears Austin was able to avoid the worst case scenario as x-rays came back negative for any breaks or fractures.

“It didn’t feel too good, but it seems like it’s alright. First test, seems like there’s no broken bones or anything. It hit me kind of on the meatier part, but it’s going to hurt though. It didn’t feel good.”

That was a marked improvement from the feeling manager Dave Roberts had as the x-rays were being taken. Doc made it seem like something would be broken for sure.

But Austin Barnes is just built different.

#Dodgers Dave Roberts expressed concern with Austin Barnes hand after being hit by pitch, but after undergoing an x-ray, Austin has shared with us that the scan came back negative, and he said he will be okay.

— Kirsten Watson (@kirsten_watson) June 8, 2023

Still, the Dodgers aren't completely out of the woods just yet. The catcher did get hit pretty good on that hand and if he's unable to catch and throw -- and swing -- by Sunday, the team may be forced to make a move.

Of the potential catching options that could join the team if Barnes is forced to the injured list, one would likely not be top prospect Diego Cartaya. The club still has questions about his ability as a receiver behind the plate. More than that, he's also in the midst of a down season at Double-A, hitting just .203 with 7 home runs in 38 games.

The most likely option would be 26-year-old catcher Hunter Feduccia, who's had a fine season at Triple-A this year (.246/.365/.408 slash line in 37 games). He was even better than that before a recent 0-12 skid.

Austin Wynns is gone. He joined the Colorado Rockies shortly after being DFA'd in April. The Dodgers also have veteran backstop Patrick Mazeika backing up Feduccia at AAA this season. He's collected 159 plate appearances at the big league level.