It’s every hitter’s worst nightmare come true.
Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann was drilled by a 95 mph fastball from Blue Jays starter Yariel Rodriguez while batting with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning at Camden Yards on Monday.
McCann immediately grabbed his nose and stayed down for several minutes as blood gushed out and onto his white home jersey.
Improbably, the ex-Met walked to first base with a tissue pressed to his nose, somehow staying in the game — the first of a doubleheader.
The hit-by-pitch may have given Baltimore another run — padding the team’s lead to 4-0 — and McCann his 15th RBI on the year, but it was undoubtedly his most painful, too.
Shortly after being struck, McCann was erased on the basepaths via a force out by Colton Cowser.
To begin the following half inning, the Herculean starting catcher for Baltimore swapped his jersey and inserted cotton swabs in both nostrils before remaining behind the dish to catch newly acquired starter Zach Eflin in his Orioles debut.
The 34-year-old McCann has played in 44 games this year, hitting .216 with a 71 OPS+ while serving as Adley Rutschman’s backup over the last two seasons.
McCann spent 2021-22 with the Mets and was an All-Star in 2019 with the White Sox.
The first-inning drama began a three-game series between the two AL East rivals in advance of MLB’s trade deadline, set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.
The Orioles are looking to rebound after going 5-10 in their last 15 games, including dropping two straight series to the lowly Marlins and Padres this weekend.
Baltimore, which leads the division by one game over the Yankees entering play on Monday, has already added Eflin and reliever Seranthony Dominguez and has been linked to other bullpen arms — including Miami’s Tanner Scott.