Brutal! Nick Gonzales Beaned, Day-to-Day After Scary Helmet Shot

PITTSBURGH — Baseball can turn ugly in a split second, and Nick Gonzales found that out the hard way.

The Pirates' third baseman, who entered the night as the third-best hitter in the National League, took a pitch off the helmet from Boston's Jovani Moran in the fifth inning. The scary scene forced him out of the game immediately, with Pittsburgh later announcing a facial contusion.

Gonzales was replaced by pinch-runner Jacob Gonzalez, and the team says the 27-year-old is day-to-day. Given how the moment looked, that's the best possible outcome.

Numbers still loud

Before the beanball, Gonzales went 0-for-2, dropping his average to .307 across 118 games. He's still sitting on six home runs and a career-high 53 RBIs — a huge piece of Pittsburgh's lineup.

The Pirates walked away with the win, but the real victory is seeing Gonzales avoid a nightmare injury. Keep an eye on his status, because Pittsburgh needs this bat in the lineup.