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ATLANTA — Whit Merrifield got lucky. He wasn't seriously injured when a 95-mph fastball struck him in the head. Still, the Atlanta Braves second baseman is downright livid about the state of pitching in the big leagues, saying it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or even killed. Merrifield says there must be some ramifications for hard-throwing pitchers who "don't care where the ball goes." Merrifield was struck behind the right ear with a pitch from Jeff Criswell in the seventh inning of Atlanta's 3-0 victory. Fortunately, the ball appeared to catch a bit of Merrifield's helmet, though he was still forced to leave the game.
