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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven orbital fractures and a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but remains in the dugout with his team.
However, Albernaz will have a big change in his daily routine over the next month. He needs to eat baby food.
The injury occurred Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when the foul ball traveled 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 looks on before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
Reports from Baltimore indicate that he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face and will need to consume baby food for the next six weeks while his face heals.
“This is what we’re here for,” Albernaz told reporters, according to the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically capable of being here, so let’s go. … If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”
ORIOLES MANAGER CRAIG ALBERNAZ TAKES THE LINE TO DEAL WITH TERRIFYING SCENE
Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” considering the circumstances surrounding Monday night’s foul ball by one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.
“The ball hit me in the cheek, but I feel good,” he added. “Luckily, no surgery. I think in total there were at least seven broken cheeks, eye sockets, and then a broken jaw. But luckily it doesn’t have to be hardwired. 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, Maryland on April 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
Albernaz, like many managers, stood at the top of the dugout steps when Jackson was late on a pitch that immediately fired toward his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager clearly shows his courage and resilience for his team.
They also showed it for him Monday night, when they trailed at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.
Much of that was due to Jackson, who hit two home runs, including a grand slam in the victory.
“I knocked, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of sank. I was able to see him afterwards and see that he was OK. … Knowing that he was OK helped me. It made me feel a little better. I’m just happy that 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’ victory 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, even if his diet has to change.
