Albernaz mask – Albernaz donned a catcher’s mask and glove after a foul liner reached the dugout, recalling an earlier injury scare.
A foul ball doesn’t just rattle a stadium—it can force a manager into instant, no-nonsense protection, and that’s exactly what played out during Baltimore’s series finale against Oakland.
During the second inning, Orioles slugger Pete Alonso sliced a 67-mph foul liner that shot toward the first-base dugout. The ball came close to the steps where Orioles skipper Brandon Albernaz was standing, putting the manager in the direct path of a moment that could have ended very differently.
This was not the first time Albernaz has had to think about safety in the dugout.. On April 13. he was struck by a ball off the bat of Jeremiah Jackson. and the incident happened while Albernaz was in the middle of a tense stretch during a comeback win over the D-backs—an outcome he later had to leave briefly to go to a local hospital.
The way Albernaz handled that earlier scare set a tone for how he approached this one.. The next day. he leaned into the moment rather than hiding from it. returning with a bruised face and even posing for a photo so the media could capture the aftermath.. When the foul liner again threatened the same area, he repeated the decision to meet the danger head-on.
Once Albernaz avoided Alonso’s liner, he didn’t simply brush it off.. He grabbed a catcher’s glove and then acted as if he might be ready to handle another incoming ball—an attempt at turning a sudden risk into something familiar. something he could control.. Still, the protection he had at first didn’t fully satisfy him.
That realization pushed him further down the dugout, away from his usual spot near the steps.. He then grabbed a catcher’s mask. put it on. set his hat on top of the helmet. and returned to the steps area as if preparing for whatever might come next.. In a game where foul territory can flip from “routine” to “danger” in a split second. the added gear looked less like theater and more like a practical response.
Alonso’s at-bat eventually ended on the play as he grounded out, and once the threat passed, Albernaz returned the gear to the bench. The sequence left a clear impression: when the ball is coming in at dugout level, preparation can matter as much as luck.
For Albernaz, the moment also carried personal resonance.. Long before managing, he spent years as a catcher in the minor leagues with the Rays and Tigers from 2006 to 2014.. He also played the position at Eckerd College from 2002 to 2005. which helps explain why the idea of putting on catching gear came so naturally when a foul ball forced the issue.
The broader worry now is how often these foul liners have been reaching the dugout.. If Orioles games keep producing the kind of close calls that draw a mask-and-glove reaction. the skipper may find himself revisiting his old catching equipment more regularly.. For a club navigating the fine line between energetic offense and dangerous batted-ball trajectories. one recurring question hangs over the series finale: how quickly will “better safe than sorry” become the new normal?
Albernaz mask dugout foul liner Pete Alonso Orioles vs Athletics baseball injuries catcher gear sports safety