Rays fans can breathe a sigh of relief after Junior Caminero injury update appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Not only did the Tampa Bay Rays lose Game 1 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians, 7-3, they also had to deal with a nervous moment in the top of the ninth with Brayan Rocchio at the plate and a runner at second base. Cole Sulser had forced Rocchio to pop up into foul territory near the left-field line, and both third baseman Junior Caminero and left fielder Johnny DeLuca gave chase to the ball before colliding into each other and letting the ball land.
DeLuca got bowled over straight towards the Guardians bullpen, while Caminero immediately clutched onto his midsection before falling over himself. It looked like the Rays’ star third baseman bore the brunt of that collision, and the training staff had to check on him to make sure if he was alright.
Now, the good news is that Caminero stayed in the game. The better news is that this accident wouldn’t be affecting his status for the rest of the ALCS. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Caminero is “OK” and that he just got the wind knocked out of him on that play.
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This collision would prove to be a bit of a foreshadowing of what was to come for the Rays in the inning. The Guardians drove in three insurance runs with two outs in the inning, and the Rays went down in order in the bottom of the ninth against Cleveland closer Cade Smith, sealing their first defeat of this year’s postseason.
The Rays will need Caminero to be at his best, a major catalyst in the middle of the order. In Game 1, Caminero went 1-4 from the plate with one RBI, but he did strike out twice and was a non-factor for most of the contest.
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