Orioles’ Reimold is OK after taking a pitch to the jaw

McClatchy Newspapers

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.

The cracking sound of a mid-90s fastball hitting the head of Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold on Friday set off a collective gasp throughout the seating bowl of Charlotte Sports Park.

The Orioles had their first serious injury scare of spring training as Reimold took a pitch off the left side of his jaw in the first inning of the Orioles’ 3-3, 10-inning tie with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 2-1 delivery from Rays right-hander Alex Cobb sent Reimold, a graduate of Kennedy Catholic in Hermitage, Pa., to the ground holding the side of his face.

The sharp sound had everyone wondering whether the pitch had hit the earflap of Reimold’s helmet or his jawbone directly.

“One we’ve all heard at some point,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s not a pleasant sound, I can tell you that. He got as much jaw as helmet.”

Reimold — who finally this year has his chance to be the Orioles’ everyday left fielder — collapsed to the ground facedown for several minutes while being attended to by Orioles head athletic trainer Richie Bancells before he was helped to a cart and transported to Peace River Regional Medical Center for tests.

Showalter checked with Bancells for updates on Reimold “about every 10 pitches” until he was told that a CT scan showed no broken bones, just a loose tooth — remarkable given the sound of the impact.

“The lowlight was Nolan getting hit, and the highlight was hearing he didn’t have a break,” Showalter said. “I didn’t like his chances [at first].”

After a mostly star-crossed major league career, Reimold finally has the opportunity to play a critical role with the Orioles. Showalter said he wants to see Reimold win the everyday left-fielder spot, and he’s a promising candidate for the leadoff hitter position in the lineup if second baseman Brian Roberts can’t return from multiple concussions.

Reimold’s rookie season in 2009 was cut short by a left Achilles tendon injury. The next year, he struggled and was sent to Triple-A Norfolk in May to retool his swing. Even last year, he had to fight Felix Pie for playing time.

Now, coming off a year in which he was healthy and had a .247 batting average.