Orioles left fielder Austin Hays left Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox after the third inning with a bruised right hand that appeared to result from a botched hit attempt in the bottom half of that frame .
Initial X-rays showed no break, the Orioles said, and Hays will undergo further testing.
“We got a break there with negative X-rays, so that’s great news,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s everyday. Obviously it’s very painful. I think I was lucky.”
With the Orioles trailing 7-0, Hays attempted to retire an 88 mph pitch from Boston right-hander Corey Kluber, but the pitch buckled and hit the fingers of Hays’ right hand, which were wrapped around the bat, before the ball. it was foul. Hays flied out to right field on the next pitch before being replaced in left by Terrin Vavra for the top of the fourth.
Before Tuesday, Hays had played in the outfield for all but eight of the Orioles’ defensive innings this season, including holding left field for every frame at Camden Yards. Hays was also among Baltimore’s strongest hitters; his flyout left him with a .301 batting average and .883 OPS. He hit an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning in Monday night’s 5-4 comeback win over Boston.
In Hays’ place, Vavra went 2 for 3. He singled in the middle of a five-run ninth inning that wasn’t enough to overcome Baltimore’s early deficit, as The Orioles’ seven-game winning streak ended with an 8-6 loss.
()
