Here's Impact Wrestling star Eddie Edwards -- after he was bashed in the eye with a baseball bat in the ring ... which resulted in a REAL broken face.

Edwards was wrestling against Sami Callihan in Orlando -- when Sami was supposed to use a baseball bat to smash a folding chair down on Edwards.

But the bat ricocheted off the chair and accidentally struck Edwards over his right eye.

Edwards was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for a broken orbital bone and a broken nose. There was A LOT of blood.

Impact Wrestling says doctors told Edwards he's lucky his vision wasn't permanently impaired as a result of the injury.

Edwards joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) and told us what the bat to the face felt like, and how his recovery is comin' along.

As for Callihan, we're told he felt terrible about the accident and was very emotional about the situation behind the scenes.

Get well soon, bro.