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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven fractures in his orbital region as well as a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but he remains in the dugout with his team.
However, Albernaz has a big change in his daily routine over the next month or so. He needs to eat baby food.
The injury occurred Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks when the foul ball came whizzing toward the Orioles’ dugout and hit Albernaz square on the right side of his face. But he was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after suffering multiple facial injuries.
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz watches before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
Reports from Baltimore say he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face and will have to consume baby food for the next six weeks as his face heals.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Albernaz told reporters, according to the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We’ve got a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go… If my jaw was shut, I’d still be here.”
ORIOLES MANAGER CRAIG ALBERNAZ TAKES LINE DRIVER TO STAND ON STRANGE STAGE
Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” given the circumstances of Monday night’s foul ball by one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.
“The ball hit me pretty red in the cheek, but I’m fine,” he added. “Luckily no surgery. I think all in all it was at least seven fractures in the cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on April 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
Albernaz, like many managers, was at the top of the stairs when Jackson was late to a pitch, firing immediately at his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager is clearly showing his grit and resilience with his team.
They also showed it to him on Monday night when they were trailing at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.
Much of that had to do with Jackson hitting two home runs, including a grand slam in the win.
“I hit and then I saw like Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of dropped. I was able to see him afterward and see that he was OK. … Knowing that he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just glad he’s OK and in good spirits.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz speaks to the media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
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The Orioles’ win keeps them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East standings at 9-7.
Albernaz will continue to lead the way in the dugout going forward, although his diet will have to change.
