X-rays negative after Sugano takes comebacker off foot

BALTIMORE -- For much of the 2025 season, the Orioles have dealt with a plethora of injuries. And new ailments are still coming with only three weeks remaining.

On Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards, Baltimore starter Tomoyuki Sugano exited in the top of the fourth inning of the O’s 5-2 loss to the Dodgers after getting hit in the right foot by a chopper off the bat of Hyeseong Kim. X-rays were negative, but interim manager Tony Mansolino said the right-hander will continue to be evaluated in the next few days.

“We’ll see how he kind of bounces back with the foot and kind of see how he feels,” Mansolino said. “That’ll help us determine what the plan is going forward.”

It was the third time this series the O’s have had a player leave with an injury, as right-hander Dean Kremer left with right forearm discomfort on Friday, then catcher Samuel Basallo departed with right hand discomfort on Saturday.

The ball left Kim’s bat at an exit velocity of 95.8 mph, per Statcast, though it hit the ground once before bouncing up and hitting Sugano. Assistant athletic trainer Pat Wesley and Mansolino checked over Sugano, with the decision quickly made to remove him from the game. Left-hander Grant Wolfram took over on the mound.

“Obviously, any time you get hit by a line drive, it doesn’t feel good. It hurts,” catcher Alex Jackson said. “And to get hit kind of on the toe, a pretty sensitive area. So kind of the hope is just making sure that he’s OK. Obviously, he tried to get back out there, but he wasn’t feeling good, so we’ll see what kind of happens with that. But he’s a tough guy and a competitor, so I hope he’ll be good to go.”

Sugano allowed four earned runs on seven hits (including three home runs) with one strikeout. The 35-year-old Japanese right-hander gave up a pair of homers to Shohei Ohtani in the first and third innings, the second of which was immediately followed by a home run from Mookie Betts.

Ohtani and Sugano were both first-round picks in the 2012 Nippon Professional Baseball Draft in Japan, with Ohtani going to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Sugano getting selected by the Yomiuri Giants. They faced off once in Japan -- on June 10, 2015, when Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a double off Sugano.

Sugano has stayed healthy during his MLB rookie season with Baltimore. He has a 4.57 ERA in 143 2/3 innings over 27 starts, with 96 strikeouts and a 1.34 WHIP.

The only Orioles pitcher who has logged more innings than Sugano is Kremer, who played catch Sunday and is expected to have his next turn in the club’s six-man rotation skipped. However, Kremer could avoid the injured list if his next session of catch on Tuesday goes well.

Sugano was paired with Jackson on Sunday as Basallo was given a day off after taking a foul tip to his right hand on Saturday. X-rays were negative, so Basallo is expected to return for Tuesday’s series opener vs. the Pirates at Camden Yards.

The O’s have had 28 players spend time on the injured list this season. They’re hopeful that number will not grow in the next few days, as none of Sugano, Kremer or Basallo have hit the big league IL this year.

“I mean, this late in the year, the bodies are beat up. Foul tips happen, getting hit by line drives happen, it’s part of the game,” Jackson said. “But we have to keep going. We’re in there taking care of ourselves, keeping ourselves going and getting back out on the field and making sure we’re available. It’s never a fun thing, obviously, when you get injured. But you’re always just one step away from getting back out there on the field.”