Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz expressed frustration with a reporter's line of questioning regarding Pete Alonso's calf injury following the team's decisive 13-1 victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night. Alonso exited the game early, despite a strong offensive performance that included a home run and four RBIs.
Albernaz initially characterized Alonso's removal from the game as a precautionary measure, stating, "Game state, get him off his feet. Obviously, he was dealing with his calf, so there’s no point to push him there…" This followed a previous instance on Aug. 15 where Alonso experienced a calf cramp, a detail that had been confirmed by Albernaz himself to MLB.com.
When a reporter inquired if the current calf issue was related to the one experienced against the Rays, Albernaz responded sharply. "I didn’t say anything was bothering him," Albernaz stated. "Just said, ‘Took him off his feet because of the Tampa outing.’"
The reporter pressed further, asking, "So nothing’s bothering him?" to which Albernaz replied, "Please don’t put words in my mouth. Thank you."
Despite the manager's response, Alonso has not missed any games for the Orioles since the Aug. 15 incident, indicating the team is managing his condition cautiously. Alonso has shown significant improvement at the plate after a slow start to his tenure with Baltimore. Since the All-Star break, he has batted .341 with 10 home runs. Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles in the offseason after previously playing for the Mets. The Orioles are currently three games behind the third wild-card spot in the American League, with a record of 64-68 entering Wednesday's games.