Orioles' Shane Baz Exits After 105.1 mph Line Drive Strikes Elbow

Q: With negative X-rays but lingering numbness, will Shane Baz's terrifying elbow scare derail the Orioles' desperate wild-card chase?

Probably not, unless the numbness lingers beyond the next day or two. The immediate signs point away from a major injury. X-rays on Shane Baz’s right elbow were negative after he was struck by Bo Bichette’s 105.1 mph liner, and both Baz and Orioles interim manager Craig Albernaz described the issue more as soreness and temporary numbness than structural damage. Baz said the ball hit him “right in the bone” and may have irritated a nerve, which explains why he briefly lost feeling and couldn’t grip the ball well enough to continue. That said, the numbness is the key variable. Negative X-rays rule out a fracture, but they do not automatically eliminate nerve irritation, deep bruising or swelling that could affect his command and recovery. The real test will come when Baz plays catch and tries to throw normally. He said that, barring anything unusual in that process, he expects to make his next scheduled start. For Baltimore, that matters a lot. Baz has been one of the club’s most durable starters, making 30 starts and throwing 173 innings with a 4.11 ERA. With the Orioles still three games behind Cleveland for the final AL wild-card spot and perhaps only two Baz starts left, losing him now would be a serious blow to a team with little margin for error. At the moment, though, the evidence suggests this was a frightening scare more than a season-changing injury. The Orioles’ chase is threatened, but not derailed, unless Baz’s numbness fails to resolve quickly.

Q: How did a dramatic inside-the-park home run save Baltimore on a night they nearly lost their $68 million ace?

Baltimore was saved by late power after nearly losing Shane Baz to a frightening elbow injury. Baz, the Orioles’ $68 million offseason signing, was struck on the right elbow by a 105.1 mph comebacker in the fifth inning and had to leave because his arm went numb and he could not grip the ball. That put the Orioles in danger both for the game and for the final stretch of the wild-card race. They survived because the offense answered in dramatic fashion. Pete Alonso kept Baltimore alive in the ninth, hitting a game-tying solo homer off his former team for his 300th career home run and making it 3-3 when the Orioles were two outs from defeat. Then in the 11th, Coby Mayo delivered the decisive blow: a three-run inside-the-park home run with two outs that turned the game in Baltimore’s favor and gave the Orioles a 7-4 lead. The Mets scored once in the bottom half, but Baltimore held on for a 7-5 win. That sequence mattered beyond one night. The Orioles stayed three games behind Cleveland for the final American League wild card spot instead of falling further back, and they got encouraging news afterward when X-rays on Baz’s elbow came back negative. Baz said he expects to be fine and hopes to make his next start, meaning Baltimore may have escaped both a costly loss in the standings and a potentially serious injury to one of its most durable starters.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 16

105.1 mph off Bo Bichette’s bat, the comebacker struck Shane Baz’s right elbow in the fifth inning at Citi Field, forcing the Orioles starter from Tuesday’s game.
Baz said his arm went numb and he could not grip the ball during warmups, prompting Baltimore to remove him even though he felt a few more minutes might have helped.
4 innings was all Baz managed, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks before Baltimore rallied to beat the Mets 7-5 in extra innings.
30 starts into his first Orioles season, Baz has a 4.11 ERA over 173 innings after signing a five-year, $68 million deal, making his health critical to Baltimore’s playoff chase.
3 games behind Cleveland for the AL’s final Wild Card, the Orioles are hoping Baz can return for the season’s final starts.