Phillies starter Vince Velasquez left Tuesday’s start in Miami against the Marlins with a right flexor strain, the Phillies announced. Flexor injuries are serious, so Velasquez is certainly going to undergo an MRI, which will then determine the exact severity of the injury and a timetable for his recovery.
The 24-year-old right-hander lasted just 1 1/3 innings, yielding two runs (one earned) on two hits with no walks and one strikeout. Velasquez has struggled overall this season. He came into his start against the Marlins with a 5.55 ERA with a 52/21 K/BB ratio in 48 2/3 innings.
The Phillies acquired Velasquez as part of the return from the Astros in the Ken Giles trade in December 2015. Velasquez showed promise at times out of the rotation last season, such as his 16-strikeout shutout of the Padres in April 2016. But he’s been mostly inconsistent, a common theme among the Phillies’ youngsters.