Tigers' CF JaCoby Jones needs 9 stitches on lip after being hit in face Saturday

ByESPN.COM NEWS SERVICES
April 23, 2017, 2:47 PM

— -- Detroit Tigers center fielder JaCoby Jones required nine stitches to repair a cut on his lip after he was hit in the face by a fastball Saturday, but he didn't lose any teeth and feels "lucky" he didn't get hurt worse.

"My teeth still hurt, but they said everything was intact and they were still there," Jones told reporters, according to MLB.com. "I still have to get a CT scan when I get back to Detroit. Everything feels normal. I can bite down. It's just my lip. [My] teeth are sore, but other than that, it just feels like I got punched in the face.

"It could've knocked out all my teeth or struck me square in the eye. I am lucky it hit me in my big lip and just made it bigger. It's all good."

Jones left in the third inning against Minnesota on Saturday when he was drilled in the left side of his mouth by a 90 mph fastball from Twins reliever Justin Haley. Jones went down but then sprang to his feet, tossed his helmet away and ran up the third-base line in the direction of the Tigers' dugout. He was met by manager Brad Ausmus and a trainer, who put a towel to Jones' bleeding mouth. He was later taken to the hospital.

Detroit starter Matthew Boyd was ejected two innings later Saturday when he threw behind Twins slugger Miguel Sano, who pointed his finger at Boyd and yelled out toward the mound. McCann intervened and appeared to put his mitt in the face of Sano, who reacted immediately with a punch to McCann's mask and chest protector, touching off a bench-clearing scuffle.

There was plenty of pushing and shoving near home plate as both benches and bullpens emptied, but there did not appear to be any other punches thrown. Sano and Boyd were both ejected.

Jones was placed on the 10-day disabled list before Sunday's game at Minnesota. Tigers manager Ausmus said Sunday he doesn't expect Jones to be out long.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.?