Tough As Nails Kevin Pillar

Baseball can be a rough and physical game. Players get hit will pitches and batted balls all the time. What happened on Monday night in Atlanta is a testament to just how tough baseball players can be. In the 7th inning of the contest between the Braves and Mets, outfielder Kevin Pillar was struck flush in the face with a 94 MPH fastball. Resulting injuries included multiple nasal fractures which will keep him out of the lineup for considerable time. That still didn't stop him.

When he walked into the clubhouse before last nights game against the Braves, Pillar not only said he felt fight but was jokingly stating that he wanted to be inserted into the lineup that night. All this coming after he was, amazingly, able to get up and walk off under his own power after getting hit. The fact that he wanted to get back out and play says a lot about not only his toughness but his overall character as well. So did the fact that he was more worried about Braves pitcher Jacob Webb (the pitcher that hit Pillar on accident). Pillar told Webb don't worry about it and stuff like this happens. That shows a lot of class on Pillar's part.

With Pillar out, it only adds to the growing list of players on the IL at the moment for the Mets. He's joining Conforto, McNeil, Davis, Almora, Guillorme, Davis and Walker who have all hit the IL as of late. And yet, somehow, as of this writing, the Mets are STILL sitting in first place in the NL East. But hats off to Pillar for wanting to come back and play. Shows a lot of guts