Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. has been one of the team’s best bullpen arms this season, but an incident in the seventh inning of Wednesday game against the Pittsburgh Pirates left fans holding their breath.
Leiter was in a bit of a jam, with the bases loaded and two out in the inning.
Tucupita Marcano hit a bouncing ball to Cubs first baseman Trey Mancini, and Leiter took off toward the bag. Mancini then bobbled the ball and tried to shovel it to Leiter, but the pitcher was unable to catch it.
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To make matters worse, he was spun through the air and tumbled to the ground, with his non-pitching arm bending awkwardly beneath him as he fell:
Marcano was safe at first, and Henry Davis and Connor Joe both scored to make it a 6-3 game.
Trainers came out of the dugout immediately to attend to Leiter, but he was able to stay in the game and induced a groundout from Ji Hwan Bae to end the frame.
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The Cubs got two more insurance runs, and Julian Merryweather and Michael Fulmer closed out to the game and a series sweep for the North Siders.
There was no immediate update on Leiter’s health after the game, but the Cubs will have two days off before taking on the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of a two-game series in London beginning on Saturday.