Orioles pitching prospect Moisés Chace received medical care Friday night after colliding with a runner at first base during the High-A Aberdeen IronBirds’ home game Friday night at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium, the Orioles announced.
Chace was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital where he was evaluated for a concussion and any fractures. Though the team originally said Saturday that all tests came back negative, the pitcher on Sunday was diagnosed with a concussion and placed on the injured list. Chace was released from the hospital Saturday morning, and his status is day to day while team doctors continue to monitor him.
According to social media posts, Chace remained on the field for an extended period of time after the collision and was taken off the field in a stretcher before being loaded into an ambulance. One fan at the game posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Chace showed “no movement for over 10 minutes” as medical personnel tended to him.
The game continued after the injury, with Graham Firoved entering in relief for the IronBirds in the top of the third inning. According to the MILB.com play-by-play, the injury occurred when the Jersey Shore BlueClaws’ Felix Reyes reached first base on a throwing error by IronBirds first baseman Maxwell Costes.
The 20-year-old Chace, a native of La Guaira, Venezuela, has enjoyed a standout season for Aberdeen, posting a 1.41 ERA in 32 innings with 46 strikeouts and 20 walks while allowing an opposing batting average of just .189. The right-hander spent the previous two seasons at Low-A Delmarva, where he recorded a 4.72 ERA in 40 appearances, and has also played for Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League.
“Like the demeanor, like the presence,” first-year manager Felipe Rojas Jr. said of Chace earlier this month. “Quiet kid but always going about his business. Physically, a kid that you knew was gonna get there. Since then, just the growth has been amazing. Watching him pitch his first couple of weeks has been very encouraging.”
