Tampa Bay Raysthird baseman Junior Caminero has built one of the most impressive résumés in baseball at just 22 years old, earning a second straight All-Star nod, but what happened Tuesday night stings even more.
Caminero entered the All-Star break slashing .279/.372/.555 with 28 home runs and 59 RBIs and a .927 OPS in 94 games with the Rays. His numbers are of the exact kind of player who cannot afford to be sidelined by a freak moment, but that is what unfortunately happened when a 97 mph sinker from Cardinals pitcher Riley O’Brien ran inside and caught Caminero on the ring and pinky fingers of his left hand.
© Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Caminero immediately fell to the ground in pain, holding his left hand and wincing. After being looked at by a trainer, he left the field and headed straight to the clubhouse. Chicago White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas replaced him at the top of the third inning.
The scare came one day after Caminero's appearance at the Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He advanced out of the first round with 12 home runs before falling to the eventual champion, Jordan Walker, in the semifinals, 6-5. His semifinal round included a 491-foot blast for the longest homer of the night.
Fortunately for Caminero and the Rays, X-rays came back negative, per Fox's Tom Verducci.
The negative X-rays are a significant sign of relief for a Rays team that is in first place in the American League East with help from Caminero's production at the plate and the hot corner, though it remains to be seen whether he will need any time to recover before the second half of the season.
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