Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman shares photo showing staples in his head

The projections are optimistic, even if the image is still pretty gruesome.

Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman posted a photo of himself Friday on Instagram (h/t Deadspin) after he underwent surgery on Thursday night, a day after Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit him in the head with a line drive during a spring training game.

The procedure took two and a half hours, and involved surgeons inserting a steel plate to repair Chapman’s fractured orbital bone.

The Reds hope Chapman can return in four to six weeks. He can resume playing catch in 10 days.

This story was originally published March 21, 2014 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman shares photo showing staples in his head."