Astros 1B Christian Walker hit by pitch on hand; X-rays negative

Houston first baseman Christian Walker was hit by a pitch on his right hand during Wednesday’s home game, and X-rays came back negative, manager Joe Espada said after the Astros’ 5-3 win over the Athletics.
Athletics starter Luis Severino hit Walker with a 96 mph pitch to start the fourth inning. Walker was examined by a trainer and stayed in the game. He later scored on Cam Smith’s single to tie the game 2-2.
Walker played his position for the next two innings before he was replaced by pinch hitter Mauricio Dubon in the bottom half of the sixth.
“It feels sore,” Walker said after the contest. “It’s just a matter of handling the inflammation and I should be good to go.”
Walker said the ball hit the knuckle of his middle finger.
Signed as a free agent in December, Walker, 34, is batting .212 this season with seven home runs and 25 RBIs in 54 games in his first season with the Astros.
He is a career .247 hitter with 154 homers and 468 RBIs in 886 regular-season games for the Baltimore Orioles (2014-15), Arizona Diamondbacks (2017-24) and Astros.