Orioles fans can exhale after injury update on surprise standout rookie

The Baltimore Orioles are on a bit of a tear, aren't they? Baltimore won the first game of a three-game home series against the Pirates on Tuesday, following two consecutive series wins over the Dodgers and Padres (the latter being a sweep). The Orioles have now won six of their last eight, but an injury on Tuesday night appeared to but a damper on all the good vibes.

After homering in the sixth inning against the Pirates, Orioles rookie Jeremiah Jackson exited the game in the bottom of the eighth after getting plunked on the right elbow by a 95.5 mph pitch from Pirates righty Braxton Ashcraft.

Orioles interim manager provides promising injury update on Jeremiah Jackson after HBP

Jackson’s first instinct after getting drilled in the elbow was to remain in the game on Tuesday night. The 25-year-old made his way down the first-base line with intentions to stay in the contest, but after being examined by the Orioles’ trainer, Jackson was removed from the game for a pinch-runner.

Per MLB.com’s Jake Rill, Jackson’s unfortunate circumstance marked the fourth game in a row that an Orioles player has been forced out of a game due to injury.

“It marked the fourth consecutive game in which a Baltimore player left due to injury, following right-hander Dean Kremer (right forearm discomfort) on Friday, catcher Samuel Basallo (right hand discomfort) on Saturday and righty Tomoyuki Sugano (right foot discomfort) on Sunday,” Rill wrote. “Basallo returned to the lineup Tuesday -- hitting a walk-off RBI single in the 11th -- while Kremer and Sugano are expected to avoid the injured list.”

The good news for the Orioles is that Jackson isn’t expected to miss any time, per Rill. “Interim manager Tony Mansolino expects Jackson to be fine and to be back in the lineup on Wednesday night, as there were no initial plans for him to undergo testing,” Rill wrote, before adding a quote from Mansolino.

“All indications are that he’d be OK,” Mansolino said, per Rill.

Amid what has been a disappointing season overall, the Orioles and their fan base appear to have lucked out on this occasion. It would have been a shame for Jackson to miss any time at all. He has exploded onto the MLB scene since debuting on August 1. Through the first 33 games of his big league career, Jackson is slashing .314/ .346/ .521/ .867 with five home runs and 18 RBI in 121 at-bats.

Jackson’s immediate success in an Orioles uniform has made up for some of the tough times for Baltimore in 2025, and he’s giving Orioles fans another reason to feel optimistic about 2026.If Jackson’s hitting continues, he might also fill a couple of MLB teams with regret about moving on from him. The Los Angeles Angels drafted Jackson at No. 57 overall in 2018, but ultimately traded him to the New York Mets in 2023.

After two seasons in the Mets’ organization — mostly with Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies — Jackson elected free agency following the 2024 season and was scooped up on a minor league deal by Baltimore on November 25, 2024. 

So far, so good for the Orioles on that front.

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