UPDATE: Good news. Amy Gutierrez of CSNBayArea.com passes along word that Cain has been diagnosed with a right forearm contusion after X-rays came back negative.
11:36 p.m. ET: Just when you thought this season couldn’t get any worse for the Giants, Matt Cain was forced to leave tonight’s start against the Pirates in the top of the fourth inning after he was hit in the throwing arm with a comebacker off the bat of Gaby Sanchez.
Cain was in obvious discomfort on the mound before he was visited by manager Bruce Bochy and a team trainer. He left the mound with very little in the way of conversation. The ball hit him pretty flush in the forearm area, but we should know more about the severity after he goes for tests.
Cain gave up three runs on seven hits (including two home runs) over 3 1/3 innings before exiting. The 28-year-old right-hander has a career-high 4.43 ERA through 26 starts this season.
