Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek, and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.

"He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned," Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.

Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.

"I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped," Jackson said. "I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK."

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)

"Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better," Jackson added. "I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits."

Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.

"That was awesome," Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. "You never want to hurt anybody, and