PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was hit by a pitch on the outside of his left hand and immediately left Tuesday night's All-Star Game.
Caminero was struck by St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien with a 98 mph sinker that didn't sink in the top of the third inning with the American League up 3-0.
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Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero reacts after being hit by a pitch by St. Louis Cardinals' Riley O'Brien in the third inning of the MLB baseball All-Star Game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero reacts after being hit by a pitch by St. Louis Cardinals' Riley O'Brien in the third inning of the MLB baseball All-Star Game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero, left, greets St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero catches a fly ball by Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy in the second inning during the MLB baseball All-Star Game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero competes during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero competes during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The 23-year-old Caminero, fourth in the major leagues with 28 home runs, stayed down for a few moments before he popped up and ran straight into the clubhouse.
X-rays were negative.
He was replaced by Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox.
Caminero hit 17 total home runs a night earlier at Citizens Bank Park in the Home Run Derby. He hit 45 home runs with 110 RBIs last season, and this season has led the Rays to the top of the AL East.
He batted fourth on Tuesday and became the first Ray to start an All-Star game in two straight seasons. Caminero grounded out in his first at bat against Phillies' ace and NL starter Cristopher Sánchez.
Caminero — who advanced to the final round of last season's Home Run Derby before losing a close contest to Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh — this season become the youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six straight games.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero reacts after being hit by a pitch by St. Louis Cardinals' Riley O'Brien in the third inning of the MLB baseball All-Star Game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero reacts after being hit by a pitch by St. Louis Cardinals' Riley O'Brien in the third inning of the MLB baseball All-Star Game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero, left, greets St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero catches a fly ball by Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy in the second inning during the MLB baseball All-Star Game between the American League and National League, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero competes during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero competes during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
ATLANTA (AP) — It's England vs. Argentina in the World Cup semifinals. It's also Lionel Messi vs. Jude Bellingham.
The battle of the two No. 10s could be pivotal to deciding Wednesday's match in Atlanta.
“We know how good Messi is,” England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said of the Argentina great, whose enduring brilliance has been on show again even at the age of 39.
Messi and Bellingham have been inspirational in their teams' respective runs to the final four. And Wednesday's match may well be determined by which one has the biggest say on the day.
Messi is playing England for the first time in his storied career.
“He's scored so many goals and contributed to so many goals as well throughout his career, it's great to finally go up against him,” Pickford said.
Messi is already considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time and he seems to be on a mission to settle the debate about where he stands in the history of the sport.
Already the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 21 goals, he could surpass Argentina icon Diego Maradona by leading his country to back-to-back world titles.
His eight goals in the tournament so far have been pivotal to Argentina's run and his moments of magic have dragged his team through big scares against Cape Verde and Egypt.
“It’s just incredible his campaign, this tournament, how he carries that team it’s just, absolutely incredible,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said of Messi. “There are no words ... left for this kind of achievement, the responsibility and the quality that he shows again in this tournament.”
Argentina's World Cup triumph in 2022 saw Messi emulate Maradona by captaining his country to the title. Maradona lifted the trophy in 1986 and was runner-up with Argentina four years later when it lost to West Germany in the final.
“Trying to draw inspiration from what Diego did is difficult. Only Leo can do that,” said Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. “Diego is a national icon for us, and hopefully, we can achieve something similar to what that team did.”
England has a talismanic No.10 of its own in the form of Bellingham, who is at the opposite end of his career to Messi.
At the age of 23, Real Madrid star Bellingham is already playing in his second World Cup and his fourth major tournament for England. He has six goals, including two each in the last two rounds against Mexico and Norway.
Not bad for a player who was dropped by Tuchel in the lead-up to the World Cup, prompting debate about whether he'd even be in England's starting XI.
There is no doubt anymore about a player who Tuchel described as "world-class” after two goals against Norway in the quarterfinals.
Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, who also has six goals, have spearheaded England's run to the semifinals.
Tuchel said the duo had delivered “like crazy” at the World Cup.
It is Bellingham, however, who has provided the biggest moments in the last two games.
“We all strongly believe it’s a team sport and no one is doing it alone, but of course we are also relying on the world-class moments of world-class players,” Tuchel said.
Both England and Argentina will need to find a way to limit the impact of each other's big stars.
Tuchel said he had considered trying to man-mark Messi by deploying one player to shadow him throughout the game.
“Everyone knows the spaces where he wants to show up. If you analyze the matches, you feel like he sees stuff just earlier than anyone else on the field,” Tuchel said. “I think we found some patterns in their game, but if you close the patterns he will find maybe a new one and create a new one. That’s a super strength. That’s just what it is.”
If Messi is the main focus of England's attention, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has to contend with the double threat of Bellingham and Kane.
“We’re facing great players, two of the best in the world,” Scaloni said. “We will try our best to neutralize them. We have our weapons and we will try to prevent them from having a good game.”
England vs. Argentina is a fierce rivalry that goes beyond the soccer field, with tensions also relating to the 1982 conflict over the Falkland Islands.
There have been numerous clashes at the World Cup.
Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, whose death was announced on Saturday, was sent off in a bad-tempered quarterfinal match against eventual champion England in 1966.
Maradona scored his infamous “Hand of God” goal in 1986 - and England also felt aggrieved when David Beckham was sent off for kicking out against Diego Simeone in 1998 before losing in a penalty shootout.
Most recently England beat Argentina in the group phase in 2002, with Beckham scoring from the penalty spot.
“If a fixture provides so many iconic moments you cannot just say it’s just another football match, but as a coach we do exactly that,” Tuchel said. “We don’t speak about the historic events. We don’t speak about the iconic moments.”
One of those iconic moments was Maradona's second goal in the 2-1 win against England in the quarterfinals win in 1986 when he dribbled the ball from the halfway line before scoring.
“That will be forever in our hearts. It was just such a beautiful goal,” Scaloni said. "Anybody who loves football will remember that in the best way possible.
“It was just a coincidence that it was against England, but had it been against anybody else, it would have been just as beautiful.”
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) dribbles the ball during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Switzerland in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Jude Bellingham, left, and Harry Kane celebrates England's victory over Norway in a World Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after defeating Switzerland in the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
England's Jude Bellingham (10) celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Norway and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring their second goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo)
