Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesus Sanchez left Sunday’s game after he was hit by a baseball thrown by a fan from the stands.
The bizarre incident happened at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md. during the sixth inning of Sunday’s game between the Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles. Sanchez abruptly left the game with some sort of injury to his right arm, and the cause was not readily apparent.
Video showed Sanchez seemingly communicating with a fan in right field between pitches. A baseball was then thrown his way while his glove was down and struck him on the arm.
Jesús Sánchez was forced to leave the game after being hit by a baseball thrown by a fan. https://t.co/JpECpWGntm pic.twitter.com/UyKtOyreUh
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 31, 2026
Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun reported that the ball was thrown by a roughly 13-year-old fan who apparently misinterpreted Sanchez’s raised glove as an invitation to play catch. The fan was ejected from the park.
Just talked with several fans in RF who saw what happened.
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) May 31, 2026
They described it as an accident. They said a young fan, about 13, saw Sánchez flapping his glove as if to indicate to play catch. The kid then threw the ball late, after Sánchez turned around.
The fan was kicked out. https://t.co/U4oqvXR7RU
There was no immediate word on the nature of Sanchez’s injury beyond the obvious fact that something happened to his right arm.
Sanchez has been productive this season and came into Sunday hitting .285 with six home runs. The Blue Jays cannot really afford to lose him for any length of time, especially to a fluke injury.
This is not the first time we have seen a fan inadvertently injure a player, though never quite like this.
