I am used to bat with, yet I never get hit. I am near a ball, yet it is never thrown. What I am?

Why this works

This riddle plays with the dual meanings of "bat" and "ball." Here, "bat" refers not to the sports equipment but to the act of blinking, where your eyelashes act like a protective barrier, hence "batting" without getting hit. The "ball" refers to the eyeball, which is always near the eyelashes but isn’t something you throw; it’s simply part of the eye. This clever wordplay highlights the intimate relationship between the eyelashes and the eye while using familiar sports terminology in a surprising context!