The Baltimore Orioles' 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday was overshadowed when third baseman Blaze Alexander suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand after being hit by a 95.5 mph fastball from Royals reliever Lucas Erceg. The hit by pitch sparked a benches-clearing incident before both teams were separated.
Alexander immediately exchanged words with Erceg and was held back by Orioles manager Craig Albernaz as players from both dugouts emptied onto the field. No punches were thrown and no ejections were issued, but Baltimore later confirmed Alexander had fractured his left hand.
The incident continued to draw attention after the game when Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said it made little sense for Erceg to intentionally hit a batter in a 1-2 count. Alexander later responded on social media, calling Pasquantino's comments a "weird take" while emphasizing the pitch that caused his injury.
Erceg apologized after the game and said he never intended to hit Alexander. Despite that explanation, the exchange between the two clubs added another chapter to an already tense afternoon.
Alexander had been one of Baltimore's most consistent hitters, batting .312 with four home runs, 29 RBIs, a .368 on-base percentage and nine stolen bases. His injury leaves another hole in an Orioles lineup trying to gain momentum.
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Baltimore enters the All-Star break with a 46-51 record and now must replace one of its top performers for the foreseeable future.
While both players have moved on publicly, the incident and Alexander's response to Pasquantino will likely remain a talking point whenever the Orioles and Royals meet again.
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