Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesús Sánchez left Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after being struck on the right wrist by a ball thrown from the bleachers during a sixth-inning stoppage, in what both teams described as an apparent misunderstanding rather than malicious fan behavior. Sánchez said he glanced toward the right-field stands while interacting playfully with spectators, and a young fan apparently took that as an invitation to toss the ball back onto the field. The ball hit Sánchez’s wrist and caused a bruise, forcing him out of the game.
Baltimore went on to defeat Toronto 9-5 in Baltimore. After the game, Sánchez had a bandage on his wrist, but X-rays were negative and he said he expected to be fine. “It hurts a little bit, but thank God it’s nothing bad or a fracture,” he said through an interpreter, adding that he believed he would remain available for the lineup.
An Orioles spokesperson said the club had identified the fan and removed that person from the ballpark while a full investigation was conducted. Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said the team does not condone fans throwing objects onto the field and is looking into the incident. Toronto manager John Schneider said the moment appeared to be a miscommunication, describing the interaction as playful and suggesting the child likely thought Sánchez genuinely wanted to play catch.
Sánchez said he was surprised by what happened and had never imagined being hit by a ball from the stands during a game. He called it a misunderstanding and said he would move on from the incident. “Big surprise, of course,” Sánchez said. “I never imagined that was going to happen, but it happened. Just turn the page and keep going.”
The unusual play briefly overshadowed the game and raised concerns about fan behavior and player safety, even as officials indicated there was no sign of intent to injure.
