Craig Albernaz Broke His Jaw Once, So Now He's Taking No Chances in the Dugout

If you watched Sunday's game between the Orioles and Athletics, you saw something that might have made you laugh, but also made you think about player safety in a whole new way. Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz showed up to the dugout ready for war: glove in hand, catcher's helmet strapped on, mask locked down. All because Pete Alonso sent a foul ball screaming toward the bench area, and Albernaz was not about to let lightning strike twice.

From Broken Jaw to Full Protective Gear

Last month, Albernaz took a foul ball straight to the face and ended up with a broken jaw. That's the kind of thing that changes your perspective real fast. So when Alonso's foul came rocketing toward him on Sunday, Albernaz didn't hesitate. He grabbed a glove first, then went full catcher mode with the helmet and mask. It drew some laughs from the crowd, but honestly, the man learned his lesson the hard way.

Mark Kotsay Had Something to Do With It

Here's the thing though: Albernaz wasn't just being paranoid on his own. After the game, he revealed that Athletics manager Mark Kotsay was actually egging him on the whole time. "Alonso hit a ball that pretty much was really close to me, and almost hit me," Albernaz said. "I happened to look over at Kotsay, and he was laughing and he was telling me to put the mask on and stuff." So basically, Kotsay spent the game trash-talking Albernaz into full protective gear, and somehow it worked.

Orioles Take Care of Business

While all this was going down in the dugout, the Orioles were handling business on the field. Baltimore beat the A's 2-1, so Albernaz's newfound caution didn't jinx anything. In fact, maybe having a laugh about his broken jaw and suiting up in catcher's gear was exactly what the team needed to stay loose and focused.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.