The Toronto Blue Jays definitely did not need any more injuries on their plate. Yet they were forced to sideline their $6.8 million star mid-game on Sunday as the outfielder suffered an injury, perhaps in the oddest possible way. He left the match against the Baltimore Orioles after a ball thrown by a fan hit him.

In the sixth inning, a fan threw a ball towards outfielder Jesus Sanchez from the stands. It struck him around his wrist, and Sanchez appeared to be in visible discomfort from the hit. The broadcast camera caught him clutching at his throwing hand while manager John Schneider and a trainer escorted him out of the field. Jomboy Media posted the video of Sanchez’s injury on X.

The game was briefly paused at the bottom of the sixth inning when the Blue Jays’ pitching coach, Pete Walker, was speaking to reliever Hayden Juenger. With the Orioles leading 6-0, the right-fielder was facing the gallery near him with his glove raised. It looked like he was trying to play catch with the spectators.

One fan, apparently, took his invitation seriously and threw a baseball towards him. But unfortunately, Sanchez had turned away, and the ball hit him directly near his wrist. The hit forced him out for the rest of the game. He was seen clutching his wrist the entire time.

Hitting at .287 this season, Sanchez went 1-for-2 at Camden Yards on Sunday. Throughout the series, the outfielder clocked three hits on 7 at-bats, including a run and an RBI. After Sanchez exited the game, Yohendrick Pinango came to fill in his spot. Though the Blue Jays lost the game 9-5, Pinango went 2-for-2, clocking a homer and 3 RBI.

This was Sanchez’s second time exiting a match halfway through in May. Against the New York Yankees on May 20, Sanchez slammed down on the grass while diving to field a ball. The impact was hard enough that he stayed down on one knee before exiting the match.

Meanwhile, the Orioles had stated the unexpected outfield incident.

The Orioles’ statement after the Blue Jays’ OF injury

It was a bizarre sight at Camden Park, the Baltimore Orioles’ home ballpark, to witness a player get hurt from a ball thrown from the stands. While foul balls occasionally hitting spectators might be normal, the opposite is not. After Jesus Sanchez exited Sunday’s game midway, the Orioles released a statement about the incident. They assured that the involved fan had been removed from the premises of the ballpark.

“We have identified the fan and removed them from the ballpark while we conduct a thorough investigation,” the statement read.

Jacob Kelvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun reported on X that the whole debacle happened accidentally. After speaking to the right-field attendees, Meyer explained that a young fan saw Sanchez raise his glove facing the stands. The kid thought the player was trying to play catch with them and threw a baseball towards him. However, his throw was late, and the incident took an unfortunate turn. According to Meyer, the fan was removed from the stadium.