Max Meyer leaves second Miami Marlins start in first inning with elbow injury
.JPG "Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer, center, walks off the mound past manager Don Mattingly, left, with an unknown injury, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 23, 2022.")
Max Meyer’s second MLB start with the Miami Marlins lasted all of 10 pitches.
The Miami Marlins’ 2020 first-round pick exited with two outs in the first inning of their 1-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday at PNC Park with right elbow discomfort.
Meyer said he felt the elbow discomfort at the start of the Ke’Bryan Hayes plate appearance with two outs in the first inning and knew immediately he wasn’t going to get beyond that. He ended up walking Hayes on four pitches before hopping off the mound and immediately signaling toward the dugout.
Head athletic trainer Lee Meyer, manager Don Mattingly and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. made their way to the mound to check on Meyer before the pitcher retreated to the dugout.
“Obviously when a guy comes out like that,” Mattingly said, “it’s never good or it doesn’t look very good.”
It’s also worth noting Meyer missed about a month earlier this season while in Triple A Jacksonville with right ulnar nerve irritation.
But until the Marlins get results of Meyer’s MRI, they are in wait and see mode about if the current injury is an extension of the previous or something different entirely.
“Hopefully,” Meyer said, “I can get back and get back here soon. I don’t know right now.”
Zach Pop relieved Meyer and recorded the final out of the first inning and ultimately pitched through the second as the first of five relievers Miami had to use on Saturday. Tommy Nance pitched the third. Richard Bleier pitched the fourth and fifth. Tanner Scott pitched the sixth and seventh and gave up the only run of the game in the sixth. Dylan Floro pitched the eighth.
Prior to leaving the game, Meyer got Kevin Newman to pop out in foul territory and struck out Greg Allen with a slider.
Meyer made his MLB debut on July 16, allowing five earned runs on seven hits (including two home runs) and one walk with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies.
One week later, an injury sidelines him.
“I can’t do anything about it,” Meyer said. “I put my work in. I’ve been doing my arm care and everything and it’s kind of just one of those things that happens and you’ve just got to deal with it.”
This story was originally published July 23, 2022 at 7:33 PM.
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