The Baltimore Orioles avoided a major injury scare Tuesday night after starter Shane Baz was hit by a 105.1 mph comebacker.
Baz left the game after the fifth-inning liner struck his right arm, but Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said X-rays were negative after Baltimore’s 7-5 extra-inning win over the New York Mets.
Alex Kontos of MLB.com reported the update on X. Baz was dealing with significant soreness but avoided any structural damage from the line drive.
The scary moment came when Bo Bichette sent the ball directly back toward the mound. The liner hit Baz on his pitching arm and sent him to the ground.
Baz attempted a warmup throw after being examined, but his arm was numb and the throw sailed over the catcher. Baltimore then removed him from the game.
The right-hander finished with four innings, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out two before exiting.
The 27-year-old has carried a heavy workload for Baltimore this season. Baz has made 30 starts and thrown 173 innings, posting a 6-15 record with a 4.11 ERA, 152 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
His 15 losses are tied for the most in the majors, despite the Orioles continuing to rely on him as a regular member of their rotation.
For now, the negative X-rays give Baltimore some encouraging news. The next question will be whether Baz can recover quickly enough to make his next scheduled start.
The Orioles improved to 74-78 with Tuesday’s win but remain three games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot.
