No one would have blamed Tim Lopes if he’d left Thursday’s game after being hit on his helmet’s left ear flap in the fourth inning by a 91 mph fastball. Lopes tried to shake the pitch off, sunk to one knee, and was looked at by the Seattle Mariners’ training staff.

But Lopes had spent seven years in the minors fighting for this day — his first start in a Major League Baseball game — and he wasn’t coming out. Lopes eventually took his base, then stole second and came home when J.P. Crawford tripled down the right field line.

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It was an emotional game for Lopes, his parents — with whom he shared a long hug prior to the start — and his wife, Amber, who could be seen in the stands praying for Lopes during his first MLB at bat (a third-inning walk that led to him scoring his first MLB run).

Following his first official appearance as a defensive substitution Wednesday against Texas, Lopes wrote about his gratefulness on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0U4R_1gWld/

“God is so good. He blesses us with more than we can even ask for or imagine,” he wrote, later adding, “We serve a mighty God who is way bigger than we give him credit for.”

Both Tim and Amber reference their Christian faith often on social media, and Tim lists Isaiah 41:10 in his bio: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0STBNlAzqH/

Lopes eventually left Thursday’s game in the sixth inning, but after he scored two runs in the Mariners’ 10-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. He is considered day-to-day as he undergoes the league’s concussion protocol.

“That was scary,” Mariners’ manager Scott Servais told MLB.com. “He got smoked pretty good. When he came out at the end, he said his jaw stiffened up and was a little sore. We’ve got to keep a close eye on that one. He got stung pretty good. People don’t realize how hard that ball is coming and how little reaction time you have. Hopefully Timmy will be OK. We’ll check on him tonight and see how he is tomorrow when he comes in.”

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