Rays star Junior Caminero takes foul tip to the face in bruising scene

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Tampa Bay Raysthird baseman Junior Caminero was forced to exit Tuesday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians after a foul tip struck him in the face.

Caminero was making his first at-bat in the game when he fouled a pitch from Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee off the plate.Theball bounced off the plateand hit him in the right jaw.He immediately fell to the ground.

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Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero is checked out after being hit by a foul tip in the first inning against the Guardians in Cleveland on April 28, 2026.(Sue Ogrocki/AP)

Tampa Bay’s trainer came out of the dugout to tend to Caminero, who was down for a couple of minutes.He was examined for a few moments before he finished the at-bat.He eventually grounded out to Bibee and was replaced by Ben Williamson.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Caminero was doing “OK” after the game.

“He’s in really good spirits and I would expect him to be in the lineup tomorrow,” Cash said,via MLB.com.“That ball really came off the plate hard and I’m just glad that he’s in a pretty good spot right now.”

Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero celebrates his solo home run off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson in St.Petersburg, Fla., on April 22, 2026.(Chris O’Meara/AP)

this season.The one-time All-Star is hitting .257 with eight home runs in 29 games.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Jonathan Aranda is congratulated by Junior Caminero after hitting a home run against the Guardians in Cleveland on April 27, 2026.(Sue Ogrocki/AP)

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He is coming off a season in which he hit 45 home runs, drove in 110 runs and hit .264.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.