Junior Caminero -- Injury Report

Junior Caminero returned to the Tampa Bay Rays lineup on Wednesday following an incident the previous night in which he fouled a pitch off his face. During the first inning against Cleveland, Caminero fouled a Tanner Bibee pitch that bounced off the dirt and struck the right side of his face, resulting in a bruised jaw. He remained on the field to complete the at-bat, grounding out before walking to the clubhouse.

After being examined by trainer Joe Benge, medical testing revealed no significant damage to Caminero's jaw or teeth. The 22-year-old All-Star credited his braces with protecting his top and bottom teeth from the impact. Despite initial concern about potential fractures, Caminero displayed his characteristic composure, eating a hamburger immediately after receiving his medical clearance.

Returning to action Wednesday against the Guardians, Caminero made no changes to his equipment or routine, specifically declining to use modified facial protection. He stated his primary concern was not allowing fear to affect his performance at the plate, emphasizing that such accidents are part of the game. Caminero is currently batting .254 with eight home runs and 15 RBIs on the season.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero suffered a bruised jaw during the first inning of Tuesday night's game against the Cleveland Guardians after being struck by a foul tip. The injury occurred when Caminero fouled off a cutter from Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee; the ball bounced off the plate and struck him in the area of his right jaw. After falling to the ground, Caminero was examined by Tampa Bay's trainer for several minutes but chose to remain in the game to complete his at-bat, grounding out to Bibee before being replaced by Ben Williamson. The 22-year-old is day-to-day with the injury. Prior to the incident, Caminero had been performing well for the Rays, leading the team with 8 home runs and recording hits in 12 of his previous 14 games. Caminero spent three years in the Cleveland organization before his current tenure with Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was injured during the April 28 game against the Cleveland Guardians after fouling a ball off his face in the first inning. Caminero appeared to be in considerable pain after taking the hit to his jaw but remained in the game to complete his at-bat, grounding out to Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee. He immediately left for the clubhouse after the putout and was replaced at third base by second baseman Richie Palacios, with Ben Williamson taking over at second base.

Caminero, a first-time All-Star selection in 2025, has been a key contributor to the Rays this season. In his first full major-league campaign, he is hitting .257 with 8 home runs and 15 RBIs at the time of injury. His 2025 season had been a significant breakout, as he finished the year with 45 home runs and 110 RBIs, leading the team in both offensive categories.

The game also marked the major-league debut of Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, who was called up by the Guardians to address their struggling offense. Cleveland had lost three consecutive games entering the matchup, including a 3-2 defeat to Tampa Bay on April 27.