PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen gave the franchise a brief scare on Monday when a ball hit him in the head during batting practice.

The MVP candidate was shagging fly balls when an unnamed teammate distracted him. McCutchen says when he turned his head a ball off the bat of Jordy Mercer hopped off the ground and caught him around his right ear.

McCutchen walked off the field under his own power and said he should be fine to play in Tuesday night's NL wild-card game against Cincinnati. McCutchen joked he owes the ball an apology after it got the worst end of the collision.

The ball that hit me will be out for the remainder of the postseason with 5 ripped seams and a bruised ego...#SorryImNotSorry — andrew mccutchen (@TheCUTCH22) September 30, 2013

McCutchen declined to identify the teammate who tried to get his attention, claiming with a smile that he's "no snitch."