Junior Caminero leaves the game after being hit in the face by a foul

CLEVELAND. — Dominican Junior Caminero set off alarms this Tuesday when he left the game after receiving a hard impact to the face during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.

You may be interested in: Kyle Tucker responds in the ninth and Dodgers leave Miami on the field

The incident occurred in the first inning, when the third baseman hit a foul ball that ended up directly impacting his jaw. Despite the obvious pain and being attended to by the medical staff, Caminero stayed in the batter's box to complete his at-bat, which concluded with a ground ball against pitcher Tanner Bibee.

Junior Caminero was in some serious pain after fouling a ball off his face, but he's staying in the game pic.twitter.com/fc95hFyIlf

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 28, 2026

After that play, the young player retired to the clubhouse and did not return to the field. For the bottom of the inning, the Tampa Bay manager reconfigured the defense with Richie Palacios at third base and the entry of Ben Williamson into the infield. The possible absence of Caminero represents a significant blow for the Rays, as the Dominican has established himself as a key piece of their offense. After an outstanding 2025 season, in which he hit 45 home runs and drove in 110 runs, the player has maintained a good pace at the start of 2026, with eight home runs, 15 RBIs, and a .257 average. The encounter also marked the debut of prospect Travis Bazzana with Cleveland, although attention focused on Caminero's condition, whose medical diagnosis is pending. The Rays are awaiting results on the state of his jaw as uncertainty grows about how long he could be out of action.