The Orioles’ 8-2 win over the Royals today came at a painful cost for Blaze Alexander, as the third baseman left the game due to a non-displaced fracture in his left hand. The injury came when Lucas Erceg hit Alexander with a pitch in the bottom of the seventh, and both benches emptied after Alexander had some choice words for Erceg after the at-bat.
O’s manager Craig Albernaz shared the diagnosis about Alexander’s status in his postgame comments to media (including MASNsports), and Alexander will get more testing during the All-Star break to determine the severity of the fracture and a potential recovery timeline. Such injuries usually lead to at minimum a month on the injured list, and Alexander’s season could end up being over if surgery is required.
The brutal news spoiled a banner day for Alexander, who had scored two runs and gone 2-for-2 with a walk in the three plate appearances prior to the HBP. Alexander is now hitting .312/.368/.439 with four home runs over 246 PA, good for an impressive 123 wRC+.
A .396 BABIP has played a huge role in Alexander’s offensive production, as he batted only .237/.322/.366 in 451 career PA for the Diamondbacks prior to the February trade that brought the utilityman to Baltimore. Not much has gone right for the Orioles in the first half, yet Alexander has been a bright spot.
Beyond his unexpected offense, Alexander’s defensive versatility has helped the O’s fill holes all over the diamond. He has gotten a good chunk of action at second base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots, though Alexander has mostly played third base, and had been settled into semi-regular duty at the hot corner as the Orioles looked to keep his bat in the lineup.
Today’s win over Kansas City improved Baltimore’s record to 46-51, and the O’s head into the break with the momentum of a four-game winning streak. Like pretty much the entire American League, the Orioles remain in the playoff picture, as they’re only two games out of a wild card spot. It remains to be seen if the O’s can keep rolling and start to look like more full-fledged contenders as the deadline approaches, though their chances will take a hit without Alexander’s production.
If the Orioles are buyers, they might now look to obtain another utilityman, should Alexander indeed be facing a more long-term absence. Coby Mayo will probably take the bulk of third base time for now, as the former top prospect is still trying to establish himself in his third MLB season.
