Mitch Keller was removed in the top of the second inning of Tuesday's game after being struck in the right wrist by a line drive.
After retiring the first four Marlins batters he faced, Keller was struck by a Garrett Cooper hot shot on his throwing wrist on the first pitch of the at-bat. The liner ricocheted off of his wrist into his glove for an out, and he almost immediately went to the ground in pain, grabbing his wrist and hand.
Here is the scene:
Keller left with athletic trainer Bryan Housand after a brief examination on the field.
Baseball Savant measured the line drive at a 105.5 MPH exit velocity off the bat.
The Pirates announced later in the game that the initial clinical exam and images are indicative of a right wrist contusion. His initial status is day-to-day.
Keller was off to a strong start, striking out three of his five batters faced. The Pirates' highest rated pitching prospect has been streaky since being promoted to the majors again in August, turning in two good starts and two poor ones, resulting in a 6.86 ERA (16 ER/21 IP) since his most recent call-up. He has struck out 29 batters in those 21 innings, including 20 over his last three outings.
Assuming the Pirates stick to a true rotation where each pitcher goes once every five days the rest of the season, Keller's spot is due to come up four more times this year.
More to come.
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