| Markakis sports his soft cast after the Orioles win. (Getty Images) |
Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis has a broken left thumb and will be out of action for about six weeks, the Orioles announced Saturday night.
Markakis immediately left Saturday night's game against the Yankees after being struck by an errant CC Sabathia fastball in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The pitch appeared to hit Markakis in the area of his left thumb. He immediately jogged toward the Orioles dugout to meet with the club's athletic trainer, and it didn't take long before Markakis was sent down to the clubhouse.
Nate McLouth replaced Markakis in the lineup.
A few innings later, Markakis appeared in the dugout with either a heavy wrap or soft cast around his thumb. Orioles manager Buck Showalter was shown on the Orioles' broadcast hugging Markakis, as if to console him, so it was rather obvious the news was bad.
Markakis, 28, is hitting .298/.363/.471 with 13 homers, 54 RBI and 59 runs in 471 plate appearances this season. He missed several weeks in the first half after having surgery to remove a broken hamate bone in his right wrist.
Missing six weeks could end Markakis' season, unless the Orioles make the World Series and he recovers on -- or ahead of -- schedule.
The news comes on the same night when the Orioles won and pulled into a first-place tie with the Yankees.
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