JUPITER, Fla. -- Giancarlo Stanton spotted downcast teammate Jose Fernandez in the Miami Marlins' clubhouse Thursday and flashed him a grin.
"Relax," Stanton said. "Relax."
Stanton was feeling better after being hit on the helmet Wednesday by a fastball from Fernandez, the Marlins' top pitching prospect.
X-rays were negative, there was no sign of a concussion, and Stanton said his vision returned to normal after a few hours. He expects to play in the Marlins' first spring training game Saturday.
All of that was good news for the Marlins, and especially for the 20-year-old Fernandez, who is in his first major league spring training camp.
Fernandez said he felt bad about the errant pitch and took some razzing from teammates for beaning the 2012 National League slugging champion. Stanton predicted the situation would ultimately make Fernandez feel more like part of the team.
"Everyone is giving him a hard time," Stanton said, "but I don't think it's going to hurt his confidence. He'll be fine."
Stanton said he felt "pretty loopy" after the beaning, and his peripheral vision was blurry for several hours. He eased back into his training routine and said his primary goal Thursday was to "get back on planet Earth."
Fernandez sat alone at his locker with his head down Wednesday after the Marlins' intrasquad game. The Marlins' first-round draft pick in 2011 said the pitch slipped from his hand but still had plenty of velocity.
"Over 95 mph, I know it was. It's a scary moment," Fernandez said. "My hands were sweating a lot. It was just not a good pitch. I feel bad. It's not a good feeling, I promise you."
The pitch, the first from Fernandez to Stanton, struck the slugger on the lower edge of the helmet above his neck. Fernandez followed Stanton into the clubhouse to apologize.
"When I asked him how he was doing, he laughed," Fernandez said. "I told him I was sorry. He said, 'Bro, it's OK. It's baseball. It happens.'"
Stanton ranked second in home runs with 37 last year and made the All-Star team for the first time.
Fernandez is expected to start the season with Double-A Jacksonville and is considered a candidate to break into the majors this summer. The youngster hit five batters in 134 innings last year but said he had never beaned anyone before.
"You worry about Fernandez and how a young kid like that responds," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "It will take him a couple of days to move on from it, but hopefully he'll be fine."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.