It was just the second pitch of the game for Cardinals starter Shelby Miller, but it was the last he'd throw.
Los Angeles Dodgers leadoff man Carl Crawford hit a line drive right back at Miller which bounced off his throwing elbow in the top of the first inning Wednesday at Busch Stadium, knocking the rookie out of the game.
After the ball darted off Miller and into the outfield, the pitcher grabbed his right elbow and hunched over in pain on the front of the mound as team officials and trainers rushed to his side. Miller threw his glove in frustration over the injury and walked to the Cardinals dugout and down into the clubhouse.
A video of the ball hitting Miller can be seen here.
Crawford ended up on second after the play.
Cardinals' pitcher Michael Blazek entered the game to finish out the first inning.
St. Louis has a plethora of solid young arms, but the team hasn't solidified a front line behind ace Adam Wainwright, so if Miller misses significant time it will be a huge blow to the Cardinals.
In 21 games this season, Miller is 11-7 with a 2.89 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 121.1 innings pitched.
The Cardinals are entrenched in a race for the National League Central division crown with the Pittsburgh Pirates. St. Louis (66-46) entered play on Wednesday night just two games behind Pittsburgh for the division lead.
Whether or not Miller will miss significant time remains to be seen, but the Cardinals are hoping to have the rookie pitcher back soon.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
