Mariners catcher/DH Jesus Montero, who's one of the most gifted young hitters in baseball, was struck in the head on Monday by a pitch from the Rockies' Edgmer Escalona. Fortunately for Montero, video of the pitch suggests it was a breaking ball that got away from Escalona and not some kind of head-hunting fastball. Nonetheless, Montero, once he picked himself up, attempted to charge the mound, but he was restrained and then helped off the field. Larry Stone of the Seattle Times tweets that Montero says he should be back in the lineup on Tuesday.
This incident, of course, comes soon after the Rockies' near-fracas with Ubaldo Jimenez on Sunday, for which Jimenez was suspended five games.
Montero was acquired in an offseason trade from the Yankees in exchange for right-hander Michael Pineda, who will open the season on the 15-day DL with shoulder tendonitis. Montero put up an OPS of .996 last season in 18 games with the Yankees and slugged better than .500 across parts of five minor-league campaigns. The 22-year-old Montero will likely start the year batting fifth for the Mariners.
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