David Bote Exits After Being Hit in Head by MadBum Pitch

David Bote dug in for his first spring at-bat with men at the corners and no outs in the 2nd inning, but he was not able to author any of his familiar heroics. After taking Madison Bumgarner‘s first offering for a ball, Bote was hit in the helmet and went down to a knee. He had ducked out of the way to avoid the ball and ended up taking it off the back of his helmet, but was clearly shaken up.

David Bote HBP from earlier today. Hopefully, he's alright. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/vouwD7gZqt

— Chicago Cubs on SR (@InsidetheIvy) February 24, 2019

Bote was able to walk off the field under his own power flanked by Joe Maddon and trainer Matt Johnson and was replaced by Ryan Court. The Cubs would go on to send 10 more hitters to the plate in the frame, scoring eight runs and chasing MadBum in the process. Court was a big part of that, scoring on a Jacob Hannemann single and later capping the scoring with an RBI single of his own.

Here’s to hoping everything is fine with Bote and that he’s able to get back to game action soon.

Update: Bote was examined by a Giants doctor at the ballpark in Scottsdale, after which he headed back to the Cubs’ complex in Mesa. The fact that he was not sent to a hospital is a positive sign, but he’ll be evaluated further throughout the day. The Cubs are expected to update his status Monday.

https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/1099785411738521600

Update #2: Joe Maddon told reporters Monday that Bote “appears to be trending in the right direction” and that “nothing seems to be awful,” which is about the Maddoniest way to describe the situation. Bote will meet with team doctor Stephen Adams to get a less general assessment and determine the next steps.

https://twitter.com/mlbastian/status/1100070371171037184?s=11