Horrifying scenes at MLB game as Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge is struck in the head by 105mph ball

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was carted off the field in a frightening scene Thursday night after he was struck in the head by a 105mph foul ball.

In the top of the seventh inning, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman fouled a pitch into the Tampa Bay dugout and it hit Bigge, a 27-year-old right-hander currently on the injured list.

Emergency medical personnel quickly arrived to attend to Bigge, who had been leaning against the railing while the game was going on. 

After several quiet minutes as Rays players knelt in the field, Bigge was placed on a backboard and carted off.

Bigge, on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain, managed to give a thumbs-up gesture as the Steinbrenner Field crowd rose for a standing ovation.

Rays manager Kevin Cash revealed after the game that Bigge is awake and undergoing tests in hospital. He did not lose consciousness. 

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was struck in the head by a 105mph foul ball

Rays third baseman Junior Caminero watches on as Bigge receives urgent medical attention

Bigge was eventually carted off the field and managed to give a thumbs up to Rays fans

The game resumed after an eight-minute delay with Baltimore eventually winning 4-1.

Bigge was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 12th round of the 2019 amateur draft from Harvard and made his major league debut for them on July 9 last year.

He was traded 19 days later to Tampa Bay along with Christopher Morel and minor leaguer Ty Johnson for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes.

In 32 career appearances, including one start, Bigge has a 2.51 ERA and one save.  This season, he has a 2.40 ERA in 13 relief outings covering 15 innings.

The incident comes two years after former Milwaukee Brewers player Willy Adames was also struck in the head by a foul ball while he was stood in the dugout. 

Fortunately he avoided serious injury but still missed two weeks of action.