Baseball player recounts fear of never playing again after severe practice injury

Rakuten Monkeys player Lin Cheng-fei has returned to the team after a month-long recovery from a serious head injury. The incident occurred on July 4 during pre-game practice when a teammate's line drive struck the right side of his neck. Lin was immediately taken off the field by stretcher and spent over a month recuperating before rejoining the team on August 19.

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I only remember my teammate Liu Zi-jie shouting, and when I finally regained consciousness, I found myself surrounded by people. I had a temporary memory lapse, the dizziness was quite frightening, and I suddenly couldn't feel my limbs. After waking up, I quickly moved my hands and feet and tried to speak.

Lin described the moment of impact as terrifying, recalling a brief period of amnesia and a sudden inability to feel his limbs. "I only remember my teammate Liu Zi-jie shouting, and when I finally regained consciousness, I found myself surrounded by people," he said. "I had a temporary memory lapse, the dizziness was quite frightening, and I suddenly couldn't feel my limbs. After waking up, I quickly moved my hands and feet and tried to speak."

He revealed that it took about half a month to gradually resume training, but he experienced intermittent concussion symptoms, slowing his movements and reactions. He considers this his most severe baseball injury, surpassing previous strains or bone spurs. "During that time, I prayed constantly, hoping God would help me return to the field," Lin shared.

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During that time, I prayed constantly, hoping God would help me return to the field.

Lin began rehabilitation games in the minor league on August 2, noting that his body's responses were initially slow, and he felt hesitant even during throwing. "It felt unreal, like I was a beat behind everyone else," he explained. He has since recovered and can train and play normally. To prevent future accidents, he now pays closer attention to safety during practice. "If hitting and fielding practice times overlap, I'd rather not catch, and just focus on watching the ball coming my way to avoid similar incidents," Lin stated.

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It felt unreal, like I was a beat behind everyone else.

Lin was in good form just two weeks after returning to the major league when the injury occurred, attributing it to bad luck despite taking precautions. Although he still cannot recall the moment of impact, he believes the memory lapse might be a blessing. "Otherwise, recalling it would be quite terrifying," he concluded.

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If hitting and fielding practice times overlap, I'd rather not catch, and just focus on watching the ball coming my way to avoid similar incidents.