Blue Jays OF exits early after being hit by ball thrown from crowd
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesus Sanchez had to leave Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after getting hit by a baseball thrown from the stands in the middle of the sixth inning.
Sanchez originally stayed in the game for two batters in the bottom of the inning before he was replaced by Yohendrick Piñango.
“Jesús Sánchez was removed from today’s game with a right wrist contusion,” The Blue Jays said in a statement. “He underwent precautionary X-rays that were negative for a fracture.”
According to Baltimore Sun beat writer Jacob Calvin Meyer, a young fan apparently thought Sanchez was waving his glove like he wanted to play catch − as players occasionally do with fans between innings. However, Meyer reports the kid threw the ball late, after Sanchez had turned his back.
“We have identified the fan and removed them from the ballpark while we conduct a thorough investigation,” the Orioles said in a statement.
Jays OF Jesús Sánchez suffers right wrist bruise on ball thrown by kid from stands
The culprit wasn’t a malicious fan. Rather, the ball was tossed by a youngster who merely wanted to play a game of catch.
The mishap occurred in the sixth inning of Baltimore’s 9-5 victory. During a stoppage in play, Sánchez glanced up at the fans in the right field bleachers. Not long after that, the ball soared from the stands and plunked his wrist.
“I wasn’t trying to play catch right there,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “I just looked at them, and they thought maybe that I want them to throw the ball. It was a complete misunderstanding.”
Sanchez was wearing a bandage on his wrist after the game, but X-rays were negative and he seemed confident the injury wouldn’t keep him out of the lineup.
“It hurts a little bit, but thank God it’s nothing bad or a fracture,” he said. “I’ll be all right.”
A statement from an Orioles spokesperson said the club has “identified the fan and removed them from the ballpark while we conduct a thorough investigation.”
Toronto manager John Schneider shook his head but smiled when asked to explain what happened.
“Yeah, you never know what you’re going to see at the ballpark,” he said. “He was kind of talking to a, I think it was a 12-year-old kid … in a playful manner, like almost let’s play catch. I think the kid took it literally.”
Schneider added, “I’m sure the kid feels bad. I’m assuming there’s no ill intent there, I think it was just a misunderstanding and bad timing.”
It’s certainly not something the Orioles condone.
“That’s something that I know we’re looking into,” Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said. “We don’t want anyone getting hurt or fans throwing the ball on the field or anything like that.”
Sánchez never saw it coming, but he will learn from the experience.
“Big surprise, of course,” he said. “I never imagined that was going to happen, but it happened. Just turn the page and keep going.”