Getting A Fastball To The Nuts Is As Bad As It Sounds

TAGGED: | |
Getting A Fastball To The Nuts Is As Bad As It Sounds

A little while back we reported on Yadier Molina taking a pitch to the groin and suffering a traumatic hematoma as a result of it. Now the experts have weighed in post-surgery on exactly what the repercussions of a fastball to the nuts.

If you’ll recall, on May 5th Molina was catching in a game with Jordan Hicks when a 102 mile fastball bounced off the bat, off the ground and then upwards into his crotch. The bizarre collision imapcted hard and fast, sending Molina to the ground. The team immediately pulled him from the game and rushed him to the hospital.

Now we have an interview with an expert in exactly this kind of injury. Dr. Ajay Nangia, Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Kansas Health System, talked Deadspin through the process of the injury. So the issue is that the impact ruptures the tunica albuginea, a thin membrane that wraps the testicles like the shell of an egg. When it’s cracked, the sperm tubules inside leak out, causing all sorts of havoc inside.

That can then kick off a bunch of other problems, including the body’s own immune response. Generatign antigens against sperm can lead to infertility and other issues. It’s crazy that Molina’s recovery was only a month and change long given how brutal the impact was.

Read more at Deadspin.