Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez made a stunning, last-ditch play before exiting Saturday’s start with an injury. Down 1-0 in the second inning, Velasquez lobbed a curveball to the Nationals’ Adam Eaton, who promptly sent it back up the middle for a 96-m.p.h. line drive. The ball ricocheted off of Velasquez’s arm and rolled away from the mound. With his right arm out of commission, the pitcher chased down the ball and scooped it with his left hand, then fired it straight to first base for the third and final out of the inning.
Immediately after making the throw, Velasquez collapsed in pain and had to be escorted off the field. According to an additional report from the team, he avoided an elbow injury but was diagnosed with a bruised right forearm. There’s no word yet on how long he’s expected to be sidelined.
Prior to his impressive and painful exit, the righty completed two innings of one-run, three-strikeout ball against the Nats. The Phillies’ bullpen picked up the slack in his absence and currently holds a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth.
