The Tampa Bay Rays just got a scare nobody wants during an exhibition game.
Junior Caminero, their 23-year-old third baseman and a two-time All-Star, had to leave Tuesday night’s All-Star Game after getting hit on the hand by a 97 MPH fastball from Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien. The pitch jammed him inside, and Caminero immediately motioned for the trainer. He jogged off the field under his own power, but the fact that he couldn’t stay in the game is what’s got Rays fans worried.
The video circulating online shows Caminero wincing and shaking his hand before walking toward the dugout. He was replaced by a pinch runner, which in an All-Star Game is pretty much the only reason you leave — unless something’s actually wrong.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Caminero is now getting X-rays at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Rays haven’t said anything official yet, but the team is clearly holding its breath. Any hand or wrist injury for a power hitter who swings the way Caminero does is serious business.
What the Rays Lose if Caminero Misses Time
Caminero is having another monster season. Through 94 games he’s hitting .279 with 28 home runs and 59 RBIs. Those 28 dingers are tied for fourth most in the majors. He leads the Rays in homers, ranks second in RBIs, and sits third in batting average. That’s after he hit .264 with 45 homers and 110 RBIs in 2025, his first full season as a star.
He also participated in the Home Run Derby the night before the All-Star Game, which means his hand took plenty of swings in back-to-back days. Not ideal timing for a guy who might now be looking at a trip to the injured list.
Tampa Bay is currently in the thick of an AL East race where every game matters. Losing your cleanup hitter for any stretch would sting. The team has depth but not another guy hitting 28 bombs by mid-July.
What Happens Next
X-ray results should come in pretty quick. If it’s just a contusion — a deep bruise — Caminero could be day-to-day. If there’s a fracture, we’re talking weeks, maybe months. The Rays will almost certainly send him for further imaging no matter what the X-rays say, because hand injuries are tricky and you don’t mess around with a franchise cornerstone.
For now, everyone in Tampa Bay is just waiting. The All-Star Game is supposed to be a break, a celebration. For Caminero and the Rays, it turned into another injury report.
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