"I've Got Chills": Incredible Scene In Oakland as Chris Bassitt Back On The Mound

 

Just five weeks ago, Oakland A's ace Chris Bassitt was hit in the face by a 100mph line drive, and the scene was a scary one. He suffered multiple facial fractures and underwent lengthy surgery. Most people wrote him off for the balance of the season, and figured the A's would have to continue their Wild Card chase without him. 

But Bassitt had other plans. Today, he was back on the mound, starting for the A's in a crucial game against another Wild Card pursuer, the Seattle Mariners. 

When Bassitt went down on Aug. 17th, he was leading the American League in wins, with 12, innings pitched, 151, and had a 3.22 ERA. He was, and is, the undisputed leader of the A's staff. 

The day after that harrowing experience, though, in fact, 7am the next morning, from his hospital bed, he texted former Oakland pitcher, now A's broadcaster Dallas Braden, with this message: “Bullpen in a few weeks. The show goes on.” And then kept his word just three weeks later, getting in his first bullpen session.

His return to the mound in the 4th and final game of their big series with the Mariners, as Braden said on today's broadcast, had to give everybody "that much-needed jolt of energy... that shot in the arm."

The 32-year-old Bassitt went out and posted his 500th career strikeout in the 1st inning, and pitched three impressive innings, allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk, and left with a 3-0 lead. His remarkable comeback is one of the inspiring stories of this baseball season. 

Photo Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports