PHILADELPHIA. Dominican Junior Caminero set off alarms for the Tampa Bay Rays and the American League after leaving the 2026 All-Star Game following being hit by a pitch on his left hand during the third inning of the midsummer classic held at Citizens Bank Park.
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The incident occurred when Caminero was facing St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien. With a 1-0 count, a 97.6 mph pitch struck the Dominican third baseman directly on his left hand, who fell to the ground while being attended to by the medical staff.
After several minutes of evaluation, Caminero stood up and left the field to applause from the fans. The Cuban Miguel Vargas, of the Chicago White Sox, entered as a pinch runner in his place.
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The concern subsided shortly after, when the X-rays performed on the star third baseman returned negative results, ruling out a fracture.
“I’m fine,” Caminero declared to ESPN Deportes journalist, Enrique Rojas, as he headed to undergo medical examinations.
However, the Rays reported that the player will undergo additional evaluations once he rejoins the team to determine if he has any soft tissue injury and to establish if he will need recovery time.
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Caminero’s potential absence would represent a major blow for Tampa Bay, as the Dominican is having the best season of his career. In 94 games, he is batting .279, with an on-base percentage of .372, a slugging percentage of .555, and an OPS of .927, in addition to accumulating 28 home runs and 59 RBIs, being one of the key figures for the team leading the American League East Division.
The incident marked one of the most concerning moments of the All-Star Game, although the initial diagnosis helped ease the anxiety of both the fans and the Tampa Bay organization.
