Craig Albernaz wasn’t taking a day off from work just because he had seven fractures in his orbital area and a broken jaw. But his diet is set to undergo a significant change for the next month-plus.
The Orioles skipper was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after he took a foul ball off the face during a wild win for Baltimore against the Diamondbacks. He now has a visible bruise on the right side of his face and will only be able to eat baby food for the next six weeks.
Considering the extent of his injuries, it would have been easy to understand if he wasn’t there for the second contest of the three-game set, but Albernaz was back in the ballpark, never giving any thought to skipping out.
“This is what we’re here for,” he told reporters, according to the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go. … If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”
While Albernaz seemed to be prepared to be in the dugout no matter what shape he was in, the first-year manager did suffer a significant injury due to the foul ball that struck him. However, he won’t need any procedures to fix the issues, but a lot soft food is in his future.
“Ball hit me pretty flush in the cheek, but I feel good,” Albernaz said. “Luckily, no surgery. I think all in all, it was at least seven fractures in my cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”
The incident occurred in the fifth inning with Baltimore’s Jeremiah Jackson at the plate and the Orioles trailing 4-1.
Jackson fouled the ball off and hit Albernaz, who had been standing on the top of the steps toward the tunnel to the clubhouse.
The Orioles did go on to win the game 9-7. Jackson hit two home runs, including a grand slam.
“I hit, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson told reporters Monday. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK. … Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
