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The Midsummer Classic was supposed to be a celebration of baseball, but things took a scary turn for the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night when their star left the field in pain.
Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero was drilled in the left hand by a 98 mph fastball from the St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien.
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Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays is hit by a pitch during the third inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 14, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Caminero ran straight to the AL dugout and was forced out of the game. The 23-year-old crumpled to the ground clutching his left hand before walking off wearing trainers. He was replaced on the basepaths by pinch-runner Miguel Vargas.
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Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays walks out to the pitcher during the first inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 14, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Fortunately for Tampa Bay, X-rays on Caminero’s left hand came back negative.
Fox play-by-play announcer Joe Davis summed it up: “Everybody’s worst nightmare in an exhibition is for something like this to happen.”
Caminero entered the All-Star break with 28 home runs, tied for fourth in the majors, while helping power the Rays to the top of the AL East.
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Caminero avoided the worst, but the Midsummer Classic came much closer to disaster than anyone wanted.
Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays is hit by a pitch during the third inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 14, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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