BALTIMORE -- Orioles All-Star closer Zach Britton exited Saturday night's 8-7 loss to the White Sox in the ninth inning with a left ankle injury and is considered day to day.
"We'll see how it is tomorrow. [Head athletic trainer] Richie [Bancells] and them were looking at the replay and talking. He jammed it more than rolled it," manager Buck Showalter said. "I'm sure you all saw the replay, too. The proverbial day to day. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Zach's always been a pretty quick healer, so we'll see."
With the score tied at 7, Britton recorded two strikeouts and then tried to make a play on Adam Eaton's bunt single.
For the second consecutive night, Britton raced down the line, scooped up the ball with his glove and attempted to flip it to first baseman Chris Davis for the out. Eaton was safe, and the awkward nature of the play caused Britton to come up limping after it was over.
After being examined on the field by Bancells, Britton exited the game and was replaced by Vance Worley.
"Oh sure, we've been playing in this slop for a while," Showalter said when asked if the rainy conditions played a part in Britton's injury. "But both teams, that's one of the challenges. Zach has come so far as a defender. When he first started, the first year or two, it was a challenge for him and he worked so hard on it to become a really quality defender. Almost made a great play tonight."
Any long-term injury to Britton would be a significant blow to the Orioles, who have relied heavily on the success of their bullpen in the season's first month.
"I think Zach's the best in the game, so it would be a tough period without him," setup man Darren O'Day said. "We've got guys that have done the job before. So, yeah, it was a bad night, but if you look at the body of work we've put together, we have a lot of confidence. So we'll figure something out."