Toronto’s Jesus Sanchez exited Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after he was hit by a baseball thrown from the stands in the sixth inning. The Blue Jays said X-rays were negative for a fracture, and the Orioles identified a fan and removed him from
In the middle of the sixth inning, Jesus Sanchez was out there doing his job—then a ball from the stands found him instead.
The Toronto Blue Jays outfielder had to leave Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after being hit by a baseball thrown from the stands during the inning. Sanchez initially stayed in the game for two batters in the bottom of the sixth before the team replaced him with Yohendrick Piñango.
Toronto later said Sanchez was removed due to a right wrist contusion. The Blue Jays added that he underwent precautionary X-rays that were negative for a fracture.
Baltimore’s response came quickly, too. The Orioles said they had identified the fan and removed the person from the ballpark while they conduct a thorough investigation. A beat writer covering the game said a young fan appeared to believe Sanchez was waving his glove like he wanted to play catch between innings. and that the ball was thrown late—after Sanchez had turned his back.
The sequence left little room for doubt about what changed the game’s rhythm: Sanchez stayed on the field briefly, then medical precaution took over, and a replacement came in shortly after the incident.
MLB Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles Jesus Sanchez Yohendrick Piñango wrist contusion precautionary X-rays fan investigation stadium incident