Griffin Jax Took a Line Drive to the Back and Then Pitched Through It? The Orioles Made Him Pay!

Alright, M's fans, listen up! While our boys in the Emerald City were getting ready to absolutely crush it, there was some wild, wince-inducing drama going down in another corner of MLB. Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Griffin Jax got absolutely drilled in his start against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, and get this: he kept pitching after taking a line drive straight to the back in the second inning! Talk about unbelievable grit, but also, are you kidding me? The Rays were actually leading 1-0 at that point.

The Unbelievable Hit and What Happened Next

Can you even imagine? It was only the second inning, a runner was already on first base thanks to a fielding error by Jax himself, and then Leody Tavares stepped up. BOOM! A liner rockets straight back to the mound and connects right with what appeared to be the left side of Jax's back. The dude went down near the mound, immediately grabbing his back while trainers rushed out. The ball bounced away to Junior Caminero at third, who couldn't snag it, and then Richie Palacios at second recovered it, but Tavares was safe. Pure chaos! But the craziest part? After a few intense moments, they helped Jax to his feet, and he stayed in the game. Seriously, who does that?!

The Orioles Piled On After The Blow

You know what often happens when you try to be a hero on the mound when you probably shouldn't? Sometimes it absolutely backfires. Jax staying in after taking that hit? The Baltimore Orioles did not let him off the hook. After he gave up a single to Jeremiah Jackson, the bases were suddenly loaded. Jax managed to strike out Colton Cowser for the first out, but then Blaze Alexander reached on a fielder's choice grounder that Palacios couldn't handle, and just like that, the game was tied 1-1. The dam truly broke then! Jackson Holliday ripped an RBI single, and Taylor Ward followed up with a sacrifice fly, pushing the Orioles lead to 3-1 before Jax finally got Gunnar Henderson to fly out for the last out. The damage was done. Garrett Cleavinger eventually came in to start the third inning, taking over for Jax. The Rays later confirmed it was a back contusion, and he's now considered day-to-day. You gotta wonder if staying in there made the injury any worse, right?

What a rollercoaster for the Rays, and it's a stark reminder of how brutal this early season can be on a pitcher's health. Our Mariners need to stay locked in and healthy if we're gonna keep this momentum going! Speaking of incredible momentum, did you catch our Seattle Mariners absolutely dominating last night?! While other teams across the league are dealing with wild injury dramas, our Emerald City sluggers put on a clinic. Our M's rolled over the Athletics with a huge 9-2 victory, showing everyone what we're made of! That's the kind of performance we love to see, right? Let's keep that positive energy rolling, all season long. Go M's!

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