Junior Caminero went down clutching his hand Tuesday night, exiting the MLB All-Star Game moments after a pitch caught him flush in the middle of a rally.
The Tampa Bay Rays third baseman had just watched the American League jump out to an early lead when the game turned personal, and now Tampa Bay enters the second half wondering whether its breakout star will be sidelined.
The 23-year-old Tampa Bay star was “headed to get X-rays at Citizens Bank Park with a Phillies doctor,” after exiting the game, according to Athletic Phillies beat writer Matt Gelb.
Those X-rays came back negative, meaning that Caminero suffered no structural damage to his left wrist â at least according to the initial images, Fox Sports sideline correspondent Tom Verducci reported. Caminero told ESPN Spanish language reporter Enrique Rojas, “I’m fine,” as he headed toward the X-ray facility, Rojas posted on social media.
Caminero was standing in against Cardinals right-hander Riley O’Brien in the third inning, with the AL up 3-0 and runners aboard, when a 98 mph sinker sailed up and in. He took the pitch off the hand and crumpled to the dirt near home plate, dropping his bat and helmet as trainers rushed out.
He walked off under his own power, but not toward third base. Caminero ran straight off the field and into the dugout, according to CBS Sports, with Miguel Vargas entering as a pinch runner in his place.
Junior Caminero’s Hand Injury Still Lacks a Clear Diagnosis
Exactly which hand absorbed the blow depends on who’s describing it. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the ball struck Caminero’s left hand, writing that the Rays were “holding their breath” over their All-Star’s early exit.
Rays sideline reporter Ryan Bass described Caminero as “down in pain” after being hit in the hand and wrist area, while CBS Sports’ live coverage of the game placed the impact on his right hand.
No X-rays or official diagnosis had been announced as of Tuesday night, leaving Tampa Bay in a holding pattern until team doctors weigh in. Fans and reporters hoped for a minor bruise rather than a fracture, with one comment calling the possibility of losing Caminero for an extended stretch “as rough as it gets” for a Rays team built around his bat.
The uncertainty caps an otherwise loud All-Star stage for the 23-year-old, who arrived in Philadelphia off a first-round Home Run Derby explosion of 12 homers in 20 swings before fading in the second round against the Cardinals‘ Jordan Walker. He was making his first All-Star appearance after being voted in as a starter at third base.
What a Prolonged Absence Would Mean for Tampa Bay
The Rays carry a 56-38 record into the break, good for the best mark in the American League, and Caminero has been the power behind that surge. He’s hitting .279 with 28 home runs, 99 hits and 59 RBIs, numbers that have him on pace for a second straight 40-homer season, according to MLB.com.
Losing him for any real stretch would force manager Kevin Cash to lean harder on a lineup already without a true offensive replacement at third base. Vargas can fill in defensively, but nobody on Tampa Bay’s roster matches Caminero’s power output, and a fading trade deadline window leaves the front office little time to shop for a fix if the injury proves serious.
The Rays have built their season on pitching and timely hitting rather than star power up and down the order, which makes Caminero’s health less a depth question than an existential one.
For now, the Rays can only wait. Caminero reportedly exited the ballpark without offering a public update, and Tampa Bay’s coaching staff is expected to have more clarity on his hand in the coming days, before the second half of the season begins in earnest.
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