Just a day after being struck in the side of the head with a pickleball paddle at the Edward Jones MLP Mid-Season Tournament, Jay Devilliers returned to the court for the Atlanta Bouncers on Friday afternoon. 

Devilliers suffered the injury during the Bouncers’ loss to the Los Angeles Mad Drops on Thursday when he went to poach over Jessie Irvine in their mixed doubles game against Jade Kawamoto and Ben Johns. 

Both players swung for the same ball, and Irvine struck Devilliers in the side of the head with her paddle on her follow-through. 

After a 15-minute medical timeout, Devilliers was able to return and close out the 11-5 win, although Atlanta would end up losing the match in a DreamBreaker. 

“We had a strategy that was working pretty well,” he told MLP on Friday. “Jessie was staying a little bit further back from the kitchen line so that I could poach, but on the last one, I was a little bit late to the party.” 

And after getting five stiches and missing Atlanta’s 3-0 win over Team Australia on Friday morning, the 31-year-old returned to the court for the team’s second match of the day and helped Atlanta secure a 3-1 victory over the California Black Bears to stay alive in the back draw. 

“If there’s one lesson from yesterday, it’s that communication is everything in pickleball,” he wrote on social media. “Jessie and I have played for a long time, but yesterday I was a split second late on my poach and definitely paid the price. But that’s part of competing, learning, and trusting your partner.” 

Devilliers is expected to be available for Atlanta’s next match against the Chicago Slice on Saturday.