Blaise Alexander of the Orioles sustained a fractured left hand after being hit by a pitch during the team’s 8-2 win over the Royals, which meant he had to sit out the rest of the game.
After the match, Orioles manager Craig Albanaz addressed the media, confirming that although the benches cleared, no punches were thrown. He described Alexander’s injury as a “punch in the gut,” noting it was a nondisplaced fracture.
In the bottom of the seventh, Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg threw a pitch that veered out of the strike zone, leading to Alexander being struck. It was clear that the young third baseman was frustrated, and while he confronted Erceg briefly, Orioles staff quickly intervened to defuse any rising tensions.
Although both teams exited their dugouts briefly, the situation calmed down, allowing players to return to their respective sides without further incident.
Erceg later spoke to reporters, clarifying that the hit was unintentional. “There was no malicious intent. That’s baseball,” he said. “I can understand why he’s upset; you really don’t want to get hit, especially on the hand. It’s just unfortunate.”
This injury comes at a tough time for the Orioles, as Alexander has been performing well, with a .312 batting average, and the team is on a four-game winning streak going into the MLB All-Star break.
Interestingly, both the Orioles and the Royals have been struggling this season, languishing near the bottom of their divisions. The Orioles sit in fourth place in the American League East, trailing the Rays by 11.5 games, while the Royals find themselves at the bottom of the AL Central, 13 games behind the White Sox. Kansas City is also 21 games under .500 as they head into the All-Star break.
