Padres catcher Austin Nola ‘has cognitive vision issue’ after taking pitch to the face in

Padres catcher Austin Nola been diagnosed with a cognitive vision issue, and the reason he sought a medical opinion on the issue has to do with the Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo.

Back in March, Nola was hit in the face by a pitch in spring training. 

His nose was broken on the play, but he believed he was otherwise fine and resumed activity in Padres camp three days later.

However, it wasn’t until Rizzo complained to reporters of fogginess and ‘feeling hungover’ following a May 28 collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. that Nola started to more heavily consider his March injury. 

Rizzo was placed on the injured list on August 3 with post-concussion syndrome.

Nola, who had struggled mightily to start the season, believed Rizzo’s situation ‘sounded familiar’ to him according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, and quickly got neurology and ophthalmology tests last month.

Austin Nola has been diagnosed with a cognitive issue following his broken nose back in March

The catcher, who had been demoted to Triple-A after hitting .146 through 52 games,  was reportedly diagnosed with oculomotor dysfunction, ‘a vision issue that impacts the brain’s ability to coordinate eye movement.’

‘I’m so thankful to get some clarity on it,’ Nola told the Union-Tribune. ‘I just couldn’t figure it out. I just didn’t know why I wasn’t seeing the ball.’

Nola, who hasn’t played since August 8, learned through the testing that he was experiencing misaligned tracking with his left eye.

The 33-year-old struggled in Triple-A El-Paso, hitting just .185 in eight games, before being placed on the team’s injured list this weekend.

Rizzo also struggled after his collision with Tatis Jr. – which was deemed by a neurologist to be the likely cause of his issues – and has not yet returned from the injury list either.

Nola, meanwhile, is targeting a return to baseball this season.

 ‘I feel like I’m getting on the road to recovery,’ he said.