No two words strike fear into a man more than “ruptured testicle.”
Mats Zuccarello, the Minnesota Wild forward who stars on the top line with Kirill Kaprizov, knows all too well about the uncomfortable details associated with the below-the-belt injury.
On Nov. 14, Zuccarello crumpled to the ice in obvious pain after defenseman Brock Faber unleashed a wrist shot that struck the unsuspecting 37-year-old in the testicles, causing a rupture.
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The horrifying injury news was confirmed Wednesday when teammate Marcus Foligno was a guest on the 93X Half-Assed Morning Show, revealing that Zuccarello’s jock strap was left with a “massive dent in it.”
“We thought he was gonna lose one nut, but it actually survived and he’s got them both still,” Foligno said. “Poor guy got hit where the sun don’t shine and it ruptured his testicle. He can’t even lift anything.”
“It was hilarious,” Foligno said of the dented nut cup. “It’s funny after, now that he’s OK.”
Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Coincidentally, the top story on the 93X website is about the “93X Nutcracker” concert at Uptown Theater in Minneapolis featuring Bush and Badflower.
The ruptured testicle required surgery and Zuccarello has been ruled out for 3-4 weeks while he recovers. According to Cleveland Clinic, a ruptured testicle typically requires emergency surgery. We’ll let the clinic explain…
“A ruptured testicle is a health emergency that happens when the membrane holding the testicle breaks. Testicular rupture can occur with blunt force to your scrotum or a penetrating injury. The injury often requires surgical repair, and sometimes your testicle must be removed. You can maintain fertility with only one healthy testicle.”
In 2019, Major League Baseball player Mitch Haniger suffered a ruptured testicle while batting with the Seattle Mariners. He fouled off a pitch from Justin Verlander and the baseball struck him in the worst possible spot. Somehow, Haniger found the strength to get to his feet, finish the at-bat (Verlander struck him out) and stay in the game.
It wasn’t long after, however, that he was in emergency surgery.
In 2021, former Minnesota Twins catcher Mitch Garver had surgery after suffering an injury described by the team as a “severe groin contusion.” It was the result of a foul ball that struck him in the groin while he was behind the plate.
