BALTIMORE -- For nine years, Craig Albernaz was a Minor League catcher, which is widely known as the most grueling and physically demanding position on a baseball field. So nobody has likely questioned his toughness.
But surely nobody will do so after what happened to Albernaz on Monday night.
During the fifth inning of the Orioles' 9-7 comeback win over the D-backs at Camden Yards, Albernaz was struck in the face by a 70.6 mph foul liner off the bat of O's second baseman Jeremiah Jackson. Baltimore's first-year manager was quickly escorted down the dugout steps by outfielder Taylor Ward and team personnel, then was evaluated on-site by the team's medical staff.
Albernaz returned later with a visible red mark on his right cheek, but his stay was brief, only giving Jackson a hug following his sixth-inning grand slam. Albernaz was not seen in the dugout again, and the 43-year-old did not attend his postgame press conference, as he was getting precautionary scans, bench coach Donnie Ecker said.
"He's doing good," Ecker said. "If it were up to him, he would finish the game and he would be sitting right here."
Jackson was relieved to find out Albernaz was OK, as the infielder said it took him about 30-45 minutes to move past the incident. It helped to see the skipper was fine when the two embraced in the dugout an inning later.
"Never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome, so it sucked," Jackson said. "But he wore it well, and he’s in good spirits, so it definitely made me feel better.”
The reactions poured in from social media during the game and from both clubhouses after the game.
Albernaz's wife, Genevieve, posted her thoughts on the manager making his unexpected return:
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo was hoping to get more information from O's third-base coach Buck Britton during a pitching change, but Britton had already retreated to his own dugout by that point. Lovullo was glad to hear of Albernaz's status after the game.
"We hate seeing that, so I wish Craig the best," Lovullo said. "We're all pulling for him in this clubhouse, for sure."
Albernaz is only 16 games into his MLB managerial career, but it hasn't taken him long to win over the Orioles' clubhouse. Monday only helped his reputation, considering he again showed the toughness he's been known for during a long life in baseball.
"It was cool that he went back into the dugout for a short period of time after it happened, after he got checked out," Ward said. "Hoping everything goes well with him."
"We sit there every game and we're all kind of vulnerable to it," Ecker said. "When it happens, everyone feels for him."
"Always scary when someone gets squared up like that. I’m glad he’s OK," first baseman Pete Alonso said. "Obviously, that stinks. He’s a tough guy. He definitely rubbed some dirt on it."
It is not yet known whether Albernaz will manage Tuesday's game vs. the D-backs. As of Monday night, he was not yet scheduled to do his pregame media session.