The Orioles’ 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards on Sunday did not come without a heavy dose of bad news.

Utility fielder Blaze Alexander suffered a broken left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning. It’s a nondisplaced fracture, manager Craig Albernaz said.

“Our guys show we’re resilient,” Albernaz said. “Blaze will be around and see where he’s at rehab-wise and go from there. But, yeah, definitely a gut punch.”

The benches cleared briefly after Royals reliever Lucas Erceg hit Alexander in the next at-bat after a home run by Samuel Basallo.

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To reporters in the visiting clubhouse, Erceg said Alexander appeared irritated with his decision to pitch quickly, beginning his windup before Alexander was fully ready.

“I was telling him after I hit him, no ill intent there,” Erceg said. “Was just trying to pitch. I quick pitch to a lot of guys. Especially with two-strike counts. So, I mean, I lost it a little bit up and in.”

The Orioles will feel massive repercussions after they finally won four games in a row for the first time this season. The winning streak sends them into the All-Star break on a high that is now dampened through another injury.

After going 2-for-2 Sunday, Alexander is batting .312 with an .807 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He reached base all four plate appearances in the finale.

“It’s tough,” right-hander Shane Baz said. “It’s kind of a reminder to just don’t take any days for granted. You know, it’s nothing he did wrong. You know, there’s nothing he can control there. It’s just bad luck. It sucks, but I think everyone believes that we have the pieces to step up and pick him up for this time. It’s super unfortunate.”

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First baseman Pete Alonso added that what Alexander brings to the Orioles goes beyond his on-field performances. His energy is a lift for the team.

“Losing him, not just his skill set but also losing the performance night in, night out, it’s a tough one,” Alonso said. “I’ve had broken hands before, so I know that’s kind of going to be not an easy pill to swallow. It’s really frustrating, but I hope he has a really quick and speedy recovery.”

The nondisplaced fracture is a better outcome than it could have been. It doesn’t require surgery. But Alexander will miss more than a month, presumably.

That will force the Orioles to fill in for his production. At Triple-A Norfolk, there are a few infield options. Luis Vázquez is a strong defender all over the infield, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand is on the 40-man roster already.

This article has been updated.