New York Yankees starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda exited his start against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night with an apparent injury.
Hiroki Kuroda injury: Yankees RHP leaves in 3rd inning
Manny Machado hit Kuroda in the right calf with a line drive in the second inning.
Rob Carr
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The problems started for Kuroda in the first inning, when he allowed home runs to Nick Markakis and Chris Davis to give the Orioles a 3-0 advantage. Manny Machado smacked a line drive off Kuroda's right calf in the second inning, and the starter appeared to be battling a tight back.
Kuroda surrendered a double and a single to start the third inning. Yankees manager Joe Girardi visited the mound with trainer Steve Donohue and Kuroda’s interpreter, before removing the pitcher following the meeting.
Preston Claiborne relieved Kuroda and promptly surrendered a three-run homer to Matt Wieters, allowing both of Kuroda's runners to score. Kuroda finished the game allowing five runs on four hits in two innings, striking out four hitters while issuing two walks.
The Yankees have experienced an abnormal amount of injury problems this season. Two of the team's starting pitchers, Ivan Nova and Andy Pettitte, are currently on the disabled list and are joined by a host of key position players.
Kuroda has played an important role in the Yankees’ surprising start this season. The veteran starter entered Wednesday night with a 1.99 ERA.
UPDATE: The Yankees have announced that Kuroda left his start with a bruised right calf, making the Machado line drive the likely culprit of the injury.
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