Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Shane Baz was drilled in the elbow with a 105.1 mph line drive in a scary scene Tuesday night at Citi Field.
New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette ripped Baz’s 83 mph knuckle-curveball right back at him. The ball hit Baz on his right elbow and then ricocheted all the way to left field for a base hit. Baz bent over after being hit, flipped off his glove and held his arm. He later said his arm went numb.
“It just kind of got me right in the bone, and you know, just kind of just went numb, you know. Really wish I could have stayed in and been able to grind through it, just couldn’t really grip the ball,” Baz said postgame.
The 27-year-old said if he had a few more minutes, he could have been all right, but they opted to play it safe. Baz tried to warm up, but he didn’t have any control of the pitch, and the ball slipped out of his hand. He said he didn’t have any feeling in it.
Baz allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in four innings. The Orioles won the game 7-5 in extra innings.
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Baz, who signed a five-year, $68 million contract with the Orioles this past offseason, has been very durable in his first season with the team, making 30 starts with a 4.11 ERA in 173 innings. He has a 6-15 record, and his 15 losses are tied with Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee for the most in the major leagues.
With the win, the Orioles remained three games behind the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. The team hopes Baz can bounce back and make his final starts of the year amid their postseason push.
