Rays Minor Leaguer Tyler Zombro Planning Comeback After Scary Head Injury

Tampa Bay Rays minor league pitcher Tyler Zombro is planning on resuming his playing career after he was struck in the head by a comebacker in June.

Zombro told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that he intends on attending minor league spring training and he expects to pitch again this season. He said he underwent a CT scan in December that revealed that the fracture he suffered had healed.

"They said, 'You're good to go,'" Zombro said. "So I've booked my housing for spring (training), and I'll be there."

A right-handed reliever, Zombro was pitching for Tampa Bay's Triple-A affiliate in Durham when he was hit by a line drive up the middle that was clocked at 104 mph. The ball struck him on the right side of his head above his ear, causing him to fall unconscious in a scary scene.

Zombro had to have 16 plates and 32 screws installed into his head "to stabilize his skull and reduce pressure on his brain," per Topkin. He also lost motor skills on the left side of his body temporarily and had his speech impaired.

Zombro spent about a week in Duke University Hospital before being discharged. He told Topkin that he's close to a full recovery.

"Within the next month to two months, I certainly will be 100 percent," he said.

When Zombro makes his eventual return to the mound, Topkin stated he will do so while "wearing protective headgear under his cap, a custom-fitted Kevlar-padded insert, with no other limitations or special treatment."