Jimmy Rollins Says No Need for Face Shields in MLB Despite David Fry Incident

Jimmy Rollins says there’s no need for sweeping helmet changes in the MLB in wake of Tuesday’s David Fry incident … telling TMZ Sports that while the scene was unfortunate, a facemask mandate is just not necessary at this point.

Fry, if you missed it, terrifyingly took a 99.6 MPH fastball to the face during the Guardians vs. Tigers game … and after he was rushed to the hospital with some painful injuries, plenty of baseball fans wondered whether it was time for some alterations to batters’ headgear.

But when we got Rollins out at LAX on Wednesday, the former National League MVP said he hopes Rob Manfred keeps things status quo.

“That’s a personal thing,” the 2008 World Series champ told us. “As a hitter, [a face guard] may be distracting. And you don’t want something to distract you. Because at the end of the day, stats count. You’ve got to be up there, get up there and hit.”

Nontheless, Rollins, who wore a normal, ear flap-style helmet during his playing days, had serious empathy for Fry … as he noted he was once drilled in the head area by a Cliff Lee fastball.

“I know today he’s probably not doing good,” Rollins said.