Gausman on his "battle scar" and start (Orioles lose 8-6)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman never made it to a local hospital today, passing the concussion tests at the Ed Smith Stadium complex while sporting a cut above his left eyelid.

He lost some blood but kept his sense of humor.

Gausman expects to be back on the field in a few days after colliding with the Tigers' Jeimer Candelario while backing up home plate in the top of the second inning. Gausman stayed on the ground for several minutes and left the stadium on the back of a cart after head athletic trainer Brian Ebel led him to the dugout.

Gausman said he also has some soreness in his back, but otherwise feels fortunate to have avoided a serious injury. One of a freakish nature.

"I've been playing baseball for a long time and I've never ran into a guy," he said. "Just one of those freak things. I watched it back and I ran right into the brim of his helmet and I think that's kind of what caused me to get a little slice. When it happened I didn't know who I hit, just didn't know what happened, but I figured it out pretty quick. I figured out that I was bleeding a good bit and probably better to just lay there.

"I came in here and went through the concussion protocol. They asked me some questions. Made sure I knew what day it was and that type of thing, which, most days I don't. It just happens to be one of my buddy's birthdays, so that's how I know it's the 26th. But any other given day I might have messed that up, but yeah, just went through some protocol, made sure my neck was OK and that type of thing. But, yeah, I'm fine."

Gausman never lost consciousness - only a game unless the Orioles rally.

"No, I think I was just kind of in shock, he said. "I didn't know, like I said, who I hit. I knew right away that my eye was hurting and went to touch it and that's when I got blood all over my hand and figured out I should probably stay there.

"The guy on deck, I think it was the brim of his helmet. And I got back there pretty quick. The throw kind of took toward the third base dugout and I kind of happened to jump right into him. But yeah, I'm fine now."

A scary moment that had the potential to be a lot worse.

"I didn't know what had happened," he said. "It's one of those things that, it's baseball. Those things are going to happen. I've had line drives that have hit me in the leg, in the foot, and come close to hitting me in the face before and those are the things that you've got to deal with. Kind of comes with the territory."

So do poor outings and Gausman was in struggle mode from the start. He was charged with five runs, the last two scoring after he departed, and six hits in 1 1/3 innings. Seven of 10 batters reached base.

"It's always good first time to get out there," he said. "I had a real good feel of my slider. I was really happy with it today. I've been working on a sinker grip and the majority of the outs I got was on my sinker. I feel really good with it.

"Command of my four-seam wasn't what I wanted. Left some pitches up when I was trying to make a pitch down in the zone, but it's a work in progess.

"I felt really good with (the sinker) today. I felt like I had some really good action. I didn't get a chance to talk to Chance (Sisco) when I came out of the game, but that's one thing I wanted to ask him. And he was calling it a lot. Usually, when a catcher is calling it that usually means you've kind of got it that day.

"He was calling my sinker a lot and calling my slider. Those are the two pitches I'm working on, especially this spring. I felt really good with that. Missed some pitches, ended up walking a guy. It's kind of a mulligan the first time out there. So looking forward to getting back in here tomorrow, getting my workout in. Hopefully, they'll let me do stuff."

It depends how he feels after waking up in the morning and arriving in the clubhouse. Stitches remain a possibility and the Orioles will check his back.

"My back is a little stiff," he said. "I iced my back. I think that's kind of a precautionary thing. There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to be out there in the next couple days."

Candelario also left the game after drawing a walk off reliever Matt Wotherspoon and moving to second base on James McCann's two-run single.

"Watching it on video, we kind of hit bodies first and then my head hit his head," Gausman said, before again finding the humor in the situation. "At first it felt like I got the brunt of it, but when I watched it back, I knocked him down, too, so I'm excited about that. At least I knocked him down, too.

"Hopefully, he's OK, too."

Gausman approves of his new look. Like he had a rough night in Siesta Key.

"Battle scar," he said. "I look like I got in a bar fight."

Kevin Gausman shows off the "battle scar" he received over his left eye in a collision with the Tigers' Jeimer Candelario.

Game update: Jim Adduci hit a two-run single off Eddie Gamboa in the top of the seventh inning to give the Tigers an 8-5 lead.

The Orioles scored a run in the sixth on Mark Trumbo's infield hit and a throwing error by Tigers third baseman Alexi Amarista.

Update II: Luis Sardiñas hit an RBI single in the ninth after Anthony Santander singled and Cedric Mullins walked, but the Orioles lost to the Tigers 8-6. They are now 0-4-1 in Grapefruit League play.