Jose Urena leaves Marlins’ regular season finale after being hit on throwing arm
.JPG "A trainer tends to Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Urena (62) who sits on the grass behind home plate after being hit by ball during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, right, looks on. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)")
Starting pitcher Jose Urena will miss the Miami Marlins’ postseason run after being hit by a comebacker in the third inning regular-season finale against the New York Yankees on Sunday
X-rays revealed the Marlins’ starting pitcher has a non-displaced ulna fracture in his right forearm.
The Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu turned on an 85.8 mph slider that went back to the pitcher’s mound with a 103.9 mph exit velocity. Urena turned and tried to make a play, but the ball ricocheted off Urena’s right forearm. He grimaced in pain for a few moments and was taken out of the game after the Marlins’ medical staff and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. evaluated him near the mound. Long reliever Dan Castano replaced him.
Urena is the most experienced starting pitcher in Miami’s rotation, with 142 career starts. He was the club’s Opening Day starter in 2018 and 2019 but missed most of last season while dealing with a herniated disc in his lower back and finished the season in the bullpen.
He missed the first month-plus of the season as one of 18 players who tested positive for COVID-19.
For the season, Urena posted a 5.40 ERA over 23 1/3 innings spanning five starts.
Urena would have been used as a long-relief option out of the bullpen for the Marlins when they begin the best-of-3 wild card round of the postseason on Wednesday. Should the Marlins advance beyond that, he was expected to be at the tail end of Miami’s rotation behind Sandy Alcantara, Sixto Sanchez, Pablo Lopez and Trevor Rogers.
Outfielder Starling Marte, obtained at the trade deadline from the Arizona Diamondbacks, also left Sunday’s game after a pitch from Clarke Schmidt grazed his helmet. He was diagnosed with a left ear contusion. Lewis Brinson replaced him.
This story was originally published September 27, 2020 at 4:21 PM.
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