From Bobby Ojeda trimming off the tip of his middle finger with hedge clippers to Glenallen Hill falling down a staircase because of a nightmare, there's a long history of odd off-field injuries in baseball. During games, though, the injuries are more run of the mill which made what happened to B.J. Upton this afternoon all the stranger.
Upton swung at a 1-1 offering from Brian Burres in the fifth inning and fouled it off, a routine occurrence. His reaction, flinging his bat away and clutching his left shoulder, was anything but normal. Trainers came out and Upton was removed from the game and replaced by Nathan Haynes. Jim Palmer, calling the game for the Orioles, was baffled saying that wrist injuries on swings were somewhat common but could only think of one other instance, involving Bob Bailor, with a shoulder injury from a swing.
He doesn't follow the Rays, obviously, because Upton's been down this road before.
"I feel good. It's happened five of the six seasons I have played, and once in high school. It's not a big deal. This is the best it's ever felt afterward. Should only be a day or two."The only lasting damage, in fact, may have been to his batting average. Haynes looked at a called third strike and, based on the rules governing such a situation, it goes down as a strikeout for Upton.
Nathan Haynes
