Former MLB player turned Texas Rangers Minor League hitting instructor, Howard Johnson, was hit in the face with a foul ball on Saturday.  He was carted off the field after the injury and reportedly suffered multiple facial fractures.

https://twitter.com/zw10bc/status/977641959362736128

Reports are that Johnson was looking at first base while the ball was being pitched and turned towards the ball after it was hit.

Via Sports Day:

Johnson was in the Rangers dugout, leaning on the rail, according to onlookers, and was looking at first base when Keone Kela delivered a pitch to Cleveland’s Erik Gonzalez, who fouled it off to the first base side. Johnson reportedly was turning towards the ball as he was hit on the left side of the face just below his eye.

He immediately went to the ground and was attended to by athletic trainers and EMT before being placed on a stretcher and carted off the field. He had a towel applied to his face as he was leaving.

According to a statement from the Rangers, Howard’s injuries will not require surgery.

Via MLB.com:

Howard Johnson, the Rangers’ hitting coach at Triple-A Round Rock, is recovering from several fractures in his cheekbone after being hit in the face by a line drive during Saturday’s game against the Indians.

The team said in a statement on Sunday that it does not appear he will require surgery, and that his eye function is fine. He will rest at home in Arizona for a week before being re-evaluated.

There’s a valuable lesson here about keeping your eye on the ball at all times kids.