San Diego Padres pitcher Cole Paplham was on the receiving end of a 102-mph line drive to the head on Sunday in a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The incident occurred in the bottom of the eighth inning. Paplham threw a pitch to Dodgers infielder Aaron Bracho on a 2-0 count. Bracho returned the pitch directly to Paplham. He went down for several minutes before he walked to a golf cart and took off the field.
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San Diego Padres pitcher Cole Paplham, #34, is checked out after being hit by a line drive from Los Angeles Dodgers’ Aaron Bracho during the eighth inning of a spring training baseball game on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Padres manager Mike Shildt said Paplham “seemed alert” as he tried to shake off the scary incident.
“Our prayers are with him,” Shildt said, via MLB.com. “He was conscious, seemed alert, knew where he was. But clearly a scary thing. … He was clearly in some pain, and obviously when something like that happens, a little bit rattled.”
Paplham has been in the Padres’ minor league system since 2023. He played collegiate ball at the University of New Orleans and then participated in the MLB Draft League for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
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San Diego Padres pitcher Cole Paplham, #34, leaves the game after being hit by a line drive from Los Angeles Dodgers’ Aaron Bracho during the eighth inning of a spring training baseball game on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
He has moved around from Single-A to Double-A levels of minor league baseball. He had a 3.82 ERA and 11 strikeouts in eight appearances in 2024.
Paplham’s incident came days after Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller was struck in the face by a line drive.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller, #28, reacts after being hit by a line drive from Chicago Cubs’ Michael Busch during the third inning of a spring training baseball game on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Miller is still in concussion protocol as he recovers from the incident.
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