Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesús Sánchez exited Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after he was seemingly struck with a ball thrown from the outfield seats.
Sánchez, during a mound visit in the sixth inning with Toronto down 6-0, appeared to engage with fans and wave his glove before an object sailed from the outfield and hit his right arm. Sánchez was removed, the Blue Jays said, with a right wrist contusion. X-rays returned negative for a fracture.
This is video from Peacock. Sorry for my trash video quality of the screen. It shows something — a ball, presumably — hitting Jesús Sánchez pic.twitter.com/nsFKtRPJbk
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) May 31, 2026
“The fan we believe (was) responsible has been identified and removed from the ballpark while we investigate,” an Orioles spokesperson said.
Fans who said they witnessed the event, The Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer wrote on X, described the incident as an accident. A young fan, they reportedly said, “saw Sánchez flapping his glove as if to indicate to play catch.”
The outfielder, through an interpreter after the game, said it was a misunderstanding, according to Sportsnet.
“I wasn’t trying to play catch right there with them,” Sánchez said. “I just looked at them and they thought maybe that I wanted them to throw the ball back to me.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider and Toronto’s training staff jogged out to check on Sánchez in right field. Schneider waved back to the Jays’ dugout, signaling for an outfielder to replace Sánchez.
As Sánchez exited the game, outfielder Daulton Varsho appeared to pick up a ball from near where Sánchez was struck and tossed it into foul territory. Sánchez walked off holding his right wrist.
Sánchez has been one of Toronto’s hottest hitters, with a .329 average and an .858 OPS in May.
