Vince Velasquez Leaves Game Against Rays With Right Elbow Discomfort

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Vince Velasquez exited the club’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays after just three innings with right elbow discomfort.

He is currently being evaluated.

In the third inning, Velasquez’s velocity on his fastball was down a couple ticks compared to normal, sitting around 91 mph.

Velasquez allowed one run in three innings against Tampa Bay. The one run allowed, which came in the second inning, snapped 19 consecutive scoreless innings for the right-hander. He threw only 54 pitches.

The Pirates can ill afford to have another starting pitcher miss any time this season. JT Brubaker and pitching prospect Mike Burrows have already undergone season-ending elbow surgery, putting a serious dent in the starting pitching depth.

Velasquez was lifted in favor of rookie left-hander Jose Hernandez.