DETROIT – Detroit second baseman Omar Infante broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday night.
Infante went down to the ground immediately after a pitch by San Francisco reliever Santiago Casilla came inside and the Detroit hitter was unable to avoid the ball. Infante got up relatively quickly, took off his batting glove and walked toward the dugout — not first base.
With Infante in obvious pain, the Tigers sent Danny Worth in to pinch run. Detroit didn't score, and the game went to extra innings tied at 3.
San Francisco eventually won it 4-3 in 10 innings, finishing a four-game sweep of the Tigers. So Infante's availability in the short term became a moot point.
"He was obviously in a lot of pain," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "Obviously when you get hit with one like that, plus the cold weather, that's a tough take. But he's got a long time to recuperate, obviously."
Infante, acquired in a deal with Miami just before this year's deadline, helped solidify second base for the Tigers down the stretch and in the postseason. He went 5 for 15 in the World Series.
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