The Orioles’ first four-game winning streak of the season came with a heavy price.
Blaze Alexander left Sunday’s 8-2 win over Kansas City at Camden Yards with a non-displaced fracture in his left hand after being hit by a 95.5 mph four-seam fastball from right-hander Lucas Erceg in the seventh inning. The pitch set off a benches-clearing fracas afterward, and imaging later confirmed the fracture.
Manager Craig Albernaz called it a “gut punch,” and there’s no immediate timetable for Alexander’s return. Albernaz said Alexander will meet with a doctor during the All-Star break this week, with more information expected after that. Even so, there’s reason to think he could be back before the season ends.
For Baltimore, though, the loss is a big one. Alexander has been one of the club’s most reliable performers during an uneven first half, giving the Orioles steady production after arriving in a Feb. 5 trade from the D-backs. In 82 games, the 27-year-old is hitting .312 with 12 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 29 RBIs and an .807 OPS.
His value has gone well beyond the bat. Alexander has started at third base 34 times, second base 11 times, shortstop seven times, center field six times, left field four times and right field twice, giving Baltimore a level of defensive flexibility that’s hard to replace.
“Blaze has been doing it this year. I mean, offensively, defensively, what he brings not just from performance, but energy every single day,” first baseman Pete Alonso said.
“Losing him -- not just his skill set, but also losing the performance night in, night out -- yeah, it’s a tough one. I’ve had broken hands before, so I know that’s kind of not an easy pill to swallow.
It’s really frustrating, but I hope he has a really quick and speedy recovery.”
Shane Baz echoed that sentiment, pointing to the randomness of the injury and the challenge of moving on without Alexander.
“It’s tough. It’s kind of a reminder to just not take any days for granted,” right-hander Shane Baz added.
“It’s nothing he did wrong. There’s nothing he can control there.
It’s just bad luck. It sucks, but I think everyone believes that we have the pieces to step up and pick him up for this time.
It’s super unfortunate.”
With Alexander sidelined, Jackson Holliday and Jeremiah Jackson are expected to keep splitting time at second base, while Coby Mayo could see more work at third. Mayo has struggled overall this season, batting .193 with a .659 OPS in 74 games, but he has hit left-handed pitching well, posting a .288 average with nine home runs and a 1.092 OPS. Against right-handers, he’s at .147 with three homers and a .446 OPS.
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