David J. Olender / Photo EditorSan Diego State baseball sophomore pitcher Bryan Crabb suffered a cracked skull and minor brain bruising after he was hit in the head by a line drive last season, but said he’s feeling “all right” now, nearly five months after he sustained the injury.
“There’s times where I get migraines,” Crabb said. “But my offseason was mostly just resting. That’s all I was told to do. Just try to get healthy.”
Last May, Crabb was pitching against BYU on May 14 in Provo, Utah when he threw a pitch to Cougar second baseman Dane Nielsen. Nielsen smacked the ball right back at Crabb, who only had time to briefly turn his head.
The ball smashed off the side of his head, just behind his right ear. When trainers went to the mound, he was reportedly bleeding from the ear.
Tests revealed a cracked skull and brain bruising.
He was released from the hospital a few days later.
Crabb said he’s not practicing right now, but could return some time this week.
“It doesn’t hurt to touch or anything,” Crabb said of the injury. “But sometimes I’ll get headaches randomly, and it starts hurting. But for the most part it’s been good.”
Before his injury sidelined him for the remainder of last season, Crabb was the Aztecs’ No. 2 pitcher. He went 4-5 and posted a 3.89 earned run average in 71.2 innings pitched.
If Crabb can return to full health, he is expected to be SDSU’s Friday night ace this season, filling the shoes of previous aces Addison Reed and Stephen Strasburg.
