Kevin Pillar’s parents share reaction to Mets OF’s scary hit-by-pitch

Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar suffered multiple nasal fractures after taking a 94 mile-per-hour fastball to the face last month.

In a May 17 victory over the Atlanta Braves, outfielder Kevin Pillar suffered an injury that would lead to him becoming yet another Met on an already lengthy IL.

But it wasn’t just any old health-related setback. Pillar suffered a multitude of nasal fractures by the way of a 94 mile-per-hour fastball he took the face — essentially the scariest moment of the 2021 Mets campaign thus far.

Miraculously, Pillar endured a short stint on the IL and was once again active for his ballclub exactly two weeks after the incident.

But that doesn’t cause the fearful memory of the ordeal to just vanish.

“I was sick to my stomach and I felt that I was gonna throw up,” Pillar’s mother, Wendy, told Steve Serby of the New York Post.

“Probably the worst, what can I say, spectacle I’ve ever seen of someone bleeding that much,” his father, Mike, said. “I watch a lot of UFC and boxing. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so much blood pouring out like that on anybody. I was kinda like, ‘Oh my God, I hope his whole face isn’t shattered.’”

The viewing of the play fortunately turned out to be worse than what the injury truly was. You first see it and you question if a career has concluded.

This is how Wendy reacted.

“It was scary,” she said. “I couldn’t believe that he didn’t get more damaged. But I think the initial hit with the pitch was worse than seeing the aftereffect. I could see his foot fluttering, you know? He’s pretty tough. He is one tough dude. I knew this was like, ‘Oh my God!’ You just saw so much blood on that poor face that it was hard.

“I thought this was the end of all.”

Of course, as was previously mentioned, the career is not over. Pillar recorded one plate appearance in each of his team’s Monday and Tuesday matchups against the Diamondbacks this week and was in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s win over Arizona, batting fifth and playing centerfield while going 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Through it all, he’s earned the respect of many — star ace Jacob deGrom while on the IL with right side tightness actually wore No. 11, Pillar’s number, during a rehab start for Low-A St. Lucie on May 20.