Red Sox prospect Bryce Brentz injures self while cleaning handgun
It may not be the shot heard around the world, but in the stillness slipping in after a historic blizzard, a bullet whizzing through a leg of a top Red Sox prospect is making a loud stir.
Bryce Brentz shot himself in the leg while cleaning an apparently loaded handgun Saturday morning, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Brentz reported to Fort Myers for spring training in early February and is making his recovery there.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington made this statement Saturday:
“He had an accident. He was at home cleaning a gun and accidentally went off. He was injured in the process. Fortunately for him it’s something he’s going to recover from and be fine and won’t affect his baseball career. He wasn’t 100 percent physically able, or wouldn’t be at the beginning of camp. We ended up not bringing him to big league camp because he wouldn’t be able to participate 100 percent.
“He was cleaning a gun and it accidentally went off. The bullet went into his leg and out the other side. I guess you could say he got lucky relative to what happened. I think he understands he got lucky and it’s a serious thing and he has to be careful. He’s here in Fort Myers and he’s recovering and it’s not going to get in the way of his future, but he won’t be in big league camp.”
Baseball America ranked the 24-year-old Brentz as the Sox’s No. 8 prospect in the offseason. Brentz spent much of 2012 in Double-A Portland before being promoted near the end of the year to Triple-A Pawtucket. His stats are .290/.349/.465/.814, 17 homers in 127 games, a year after hitting 30 homers in 115 games in Single-A Greenville and High-A Salem.
Alex Speier of WEEI.com reported that Brentz will not be in big league camp this spring.
“Everything is fine,” Brentz said. “After the rookie program, I had an accident. Everything is fine, but I was cleaning my gun and it accidentally discharged on me and I sustained an injury. Nothing serious. That’s why I was out of big league camp, because at the time I’m not able to participate fully, but I am recovering very fast and should be OK for the season.”
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