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The Midsummer Classic is supposed to be a celebration of baseball, but things took a scary turn for the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday night when their star left the field in pain.
Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero was drilled in the left hand with a 98 mph fastball from 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, Pennsylvania on July 14, 2026. (Émilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Caminero ran straight to the AL dugout and was ejected from the game. The 23-year-old collapsed to the ground, clutching his left hand before walking away with sneakers. He was replaced on the basepaths by pinch runner Miguel Vargas.
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Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays approaches the pitcher during the first inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 14, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Fortunately for Tampa Bay, X-rays of Caminero’s left hand came back negative.
Fox play-by-play announcer Joe Davis summed up the situation: “Everyone’s worst nightmare in a show 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 the Rays rise 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, Pennsylvania on July 14, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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