A simple quest for a hot plate of chicken took a scary turn for a Phillies fan. She was walking on the concourse when a homer found her sunglasses and tore them in half. 

“That’s Stacy!” the Phillies catcher said as he came to know of the incident. “I go fishing with her husband!”

Stacy Durbin visited the BayCare Ballpark on Thursday afternoon to watch the Phillies vs. the Rays spring training game. Well, she was there to cheer for her neighbor, J. T. Realmuto, who signed a three-year, $45 million deal with Philadelphia this January. 

But who knew her fine gesture for the catcher would result in a rocketing ball to her face?

The Rays minor-league outfielder Alfonzo Martinez was at the plate when José Alvarado threw a 98 mph fastball. Martinez hit it for a home run, the second for Alvarado in the same inning, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. 

“Guess I shoulda called a slider,” Realmuto joked after he was shown a photo of Durbin.

Although her sunglasses took the most, Stacy Durbin couldn’t actually walk away scot-free. The flying homer left a purple spot above her eyebrow. She was on one knee, and two small cuts were visible. One by her eye, where the seam of the spinning ball hit, and another on the bridge of her nose, was caused by the broken sunglasses. 

But Durbin was less injured and more worried about her appearance in the wedding next week. However, she quickly forgot all that and started looking for the souvenir that caused the bruise. 

The ball was finally retrieved from a 10-yo and was handed to the neighbor-turned-victim-turned-lucky-fan. But the exposed left-field concourse on the BayCare Ballpark needs some quick attention from the authorities. However, that’s not the only concern the Phillies have right now. 

J. T. Realmuto’s team won the game against the Tampa Bay Rays with a staggering 8-2. But Alvarado’s pitch, which was hit for a home run, now carries bigger weight for the club.

Phillies’ $9M bet on José Alvarado has cast some doubt ahead of the 2026 season

Alvarado had a dominant early season in 2025. He posted a 2.70 ERA with 25 Ks, which was deemed impressive. But it all went downhill as he tested positive for exogenous testosterone. He got slapped with an 80-game ban on May 18, almost ending his 2025 season. 

During the same time, Dylan, José Alvarado’s 10-year-old son, was diagnosed with leukemia. These factors had a major impact on the pitcher after he made a comeback in the late season. He struggled with a 7.50 ERA over eight appearances. And as if it was not enough, Alvarado suffered a left forearm strain that took him out of 2025. 

Fast forward to 2026, and Dylan is said to have a miraculous recovery. His father is also doing better in the spring training. He has managed a 2.25 ERA so far, and his fastballs are averaging at 98.3 mph. 

Notably, that’s a dip from his 99+ average fastballs from earlier. His command and control are also not the best. The club showed confidence in him when they exercised the $9 million club option for 2026. But the pitcher wasn’t exactly happy when he was unable to join his national team for the WBC. 

However, all that is in the rear-view now with the Venezuela team winning their first WBC title. Alvarado requires all the focus on MLB now. He is projected as the high-leverage setup. And José Alvarado needs to find his command to reassure the Phillies that their confidence is well placed. 

A single pitch was the highlight of Thursday’s spring training game. It birthed an unfortunate but memorable event for J. T. Realmuto’s neighbor. At the same time, it drew attention to José Alvarado. The pitcher needs to navigate the fine margin of slip-ups for the Phillies as they take on the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day.