BALTIMORE — Orioles rookie outfielder Colton Cowser suffered a broken left hand during Game 2 of Wednesday’s American League wild-card series against the visiting Kansas City Royals, Baltimore announced after the game.

Cowser was hit on the hand as he struck out swinging on 97 mph fastball from Royals left-hander Angel Zerpa with the bases loaded for the second out of the fifth inning. The Orioles failed to score in the inning and the Royals scored the go-ahead run the following half inning en route to a 2-1 win and two-game sweep.

“I’m more disappointed with the result than what happened (to me),” Cowser said. “It’s just one of those things, I was looking for a slider and I got one that runs up and in at you. I tried to get out of the way and ended up swinging.”

Cowser stayed in left field for the top of the sixth inning but did not come out for the seventh. He was replaced by Heston Kjerstad.

One of the top candidates for AL Rookie of the Year, Cowser, 24, batted .242 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs over 153 regular-season games for Baltimore.

Cowser struck out in all three at-bats Wednesday was 1-for-7 in the postseason.

–Tanner Malinowski, Field Level Media