Junior Caminero’s scary HBP shows the cost of treating the All-Star Game like October

Bullet point summary by AI

• An All-Star Game pitch struck Junior Caminero in a dangerous spot during Tuesday’s midsummer classic.
• The incident highlights how fiercely players compete even in a game with no World Series implications.
• Caminero’s immediate status and potential absence could dramatically impact his team’s playoff push next week.

St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien went up and in on Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero in the third inning of the MLB All-Star Game. The end result could prove disastrous for the Rays, the current American League favorites, as Caminero was removed from the game and will get X-rays on his hand.

Caminero was taken out immediately as a precaution, of course, but there’s a very real chance he’s forced to miss game action later this week when the Rays start their second half against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Where Caminero was plunked in particular was the side of his hand, where he had little to no padding.

What Junior Caminero injury update means for the MLB All-Star Game

Caminero is one of the brightest young stars in baseball. He is also, of course, subject to the same treatment as any other player in the midsummer classic. As FOX’s Joe Davis and John Smoltz pointed out shortly thereafter, MLB has the best All-Star Game of any American professional sport. Players run hard. Managers challenge. Few players take the game lightly, with Smoltz admitting no pitcher is going to lob a pitch right down the middle for the hitter’s sake.

While we can argue about the timing of those sentiments, Smoltz and Davis are correct. More fans watch the MLB All-Star Game than any other because they know their favorite players are trying their hardest. Even with little on the line — there is no homefield advantage in the World Series at play here — Caminero, O’Brien and every player will not take time off.

MLB has started to institute rules to protect their players, including persuading pitchers who throw the Sunday before the All-Star Game not to pitch during the game itself. Stars like Shohei Ohtani, who has suffered his fair share of injuries this season and is a two-way player, opted against the trip to Philadelphia as a whole to recover instead.

What’s the Rays backup plan without Junior Caminero?

Should Caminero be placed on the injured list by the Rays after the MLB All-Star Game, odds are he will be replaced in the lineup by backup third baseman Ben Williamson. Williamson has a .659 OPS and 23 RBIs in just under 200 at-bats.

Thankfully for the Rays, Caminero’s X-rays came back negative, meaning there isn’t a broken bone of any sort. However, if there are any signs of intense swelling or his hand remains bruised when he returns to Tampa, don’t be surprised if the Rays slow-play his return. The Rays have a three-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East, and an even larger advantage in the Wild Card should they fall behind New York in the division.