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KANSAS CITY. Dominican Junior Caminero will once again showcase his power in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, confirming this Tuesday his participation in the 2026 edition, which will be held on July 13 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

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The Tampa Bay Rays third baseman arrives at the traditional Home Run Derby at the best moment of his career, following an impressive offensive week that solidified him as one of the hottest hitters in Major League Baseball.

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Caminero, 22, will seek to win the title after finishing as runner-up in 2025, when he fell in the final to Cal Raleigh 18-15.

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The Dominican is also a finalist to be the starting third baseman for the American League in the All-Star Game and continues to show why he is one of baseball’s top young stars.

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In the current season, he is batting .292, with 22 home runs, 49 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .384, and a slugging percentage of .548 in his first 81 games.

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His power has been a constant. He leads the Major Leagues in average bat speed with 80 miles per hour, ranks among the players with the highest exit velocity hits, and also among those who have hit the longest home runs of the campaign.

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His most recent home run, a massive 463-foot blast, became one of the most spectacular hits of the season.

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During the last week, Caminero was named American League Player of the Week after batting .423, with seven home runs, 15 RBIs, four doubles, four walks, and eight runs scored in seven games.

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Furthermore, he became the first player since Kyle Schwarber in 2021 with at least seven home runs and 15 RBIs in a six-game span.

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At just 22 years old, Caminero has already accumulated 74 home runs in the Major Leagues, the third-highest figure for a Dominican player before turning 23, surpassed only by Juan Soto (98) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (81).

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Willson Contreras ejected for second consecutive game

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Venezuelan Willson Contreras was ejected for the second consecutive game during the matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park.

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The incident occurred in the fourth inning, when pitcher Cade Cavalli struck him out on a full-count pitch and celebrated effusively. Contreras reacted by walking toward the mound and throwing his helmet, sparking an altercation that cleared the benches and delayed the game for nearly 11 minutes.

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In addition to Contreras, utility player Nate Eaton, interim manager Chad Tracy, and pitcher Miles Mikolas were also ejected.

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The Venezuelan is going through days of great emotional burden following the recent earthquakes that occurred in his country. A day earlier, he hit a three-run home run, dedicated the hit by shouting “Venezuela!” and broke down in tears upon returning to the dugout, later explaining that he finds it difficult to concentrate while thinking about the tragedy affecting his nation.

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