Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said he suffered at least seven fractures in his cheek as well as a broken jaw when he was struck in the face by a line drive Monday night during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Tests revealed the injuries, but Albernaz won't need surgery and was back in the Baltimore dugout Tuesday night.
His eating will be limited; he said he can only have baby food for the next six weeks.
"I kind of have to show up every day. We play every day, to work," the first-year manager told reporters. "This is what we're here for. We're here for the players. We have a game. I'm physically able to be here. So let's go.
"If my jaw was wired shut, I'd still be here. You just strap on and go about your next day."
Arguing with umpires, however, is out of the question.
"Medically speaking, yeah I probably shouldn't," he said. "I think everything gets thrown out the window when that first pitch happens."
Albernaz was struck in the dugout by a line drive from Baltimore second baseman Jeremiah Jackson. He was immediately taken into the tunnel and treated by the team's medical staff.
"When it initially happened, obviously, I felt it. It squared me up pretty good," Albernaz said. "My initial thought was, 'I've got to cover up my face,' because if it was really bad, I didn't want my family to see it on TV, and also guys in the dugout. So I put my hand over my face, and that's when I took the steps down toward the dugout, got underneath the tunnel."
Also Tuesday, the Orioles announced that second baseman Jackson Holliday was recalled from his rehab assignment Monday because of mild right wrist soreness. The team said that's not uncommon following hamate surgery. He will be shut down for a few days.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
