Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo exited a game vs. the Texas Rangers after being struck in the head by a batted ball. That 107 MPH line drive came off the bat of Brandon Nimmo.
Nimmo’s response to the incident was notable. He showed extreme concern for Lugo’s safety. The outcome of the play or game was the last thing on his mind.
Nimmo and Lugo have a friendship dating back to their time in New York. Each began their careers with the Mets in 2016. They were teammates for seven seasons.
Lugo left after the 2022 campaign. He’s since landed with the Royals. Nimmo, meanwhile, was traded to the Rangers this past offseason. The two faced off as rivals this week.
Brandon Nimmo hit Seth Lugo with a line drive.
Seth Lugo exited the game after taking a line drive off the head from his former Mets teammate Brandon Nimmo
Nimmo immediately ran over to check on Lugo, and Lugo joked that he’d rather Nimmo just hit a home run next time pic.twitter.com/hbnkHmhN1Y
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 11, 2026
The frightening moment occurred in the fourth inning of Wednesday night’s contest. Lugo immediately fell to the ground. Nimmo was visibly shaken.
His hands went instantly to his head as he ran down the baseline. He quickly rushed over to check on Lugo after the fact. It was a genuine moment of incredible sportsmanship.
Luckily, Lugo does not appear to have suffered significant injury. While he’ll be left with a massive goose egg, the team reports that he is doing well.
Seth Lugo is doing well after exiting tonight’s game and will undergo the appropriate protocol and testing.
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 11, 2026
Lugo somehow walked off the field after taking the line drive to the dome. He was even seen joking with Nimmo as he exited to the locker room. We hope that his recovery is speedy.
The Rangers would go onto win the game, 6-4.