Detroit Tigers starter Jose Urena tossed one pitch to Cleveland’s Eddie Rosario with two outs in the sixth inning. Athletic trainer Doug Teter noticed something abnormal and marched to the mound alongside manager AJ Hinch.
Urena, 29, was removed from Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Comerica Park with lower right forearm cramping, which manager AJ Hinch described as an “odd injury.” He was replaced by reliever Jose Cisnero, who recorded the final out in the sixth.
“He was achy, crampy in the area around his wrist,” Hinch said. “It’s nothing to do with his shoulder or elbow. His forearm muscle — I didn’t even know you had a forearm muscle down by your wrist — was bothering him.”
The severity of Urena’s injury and timetable for his return remain unclear. Hinch said the Tigers expect to know more in the “next day or two,” following a medical evaluation.
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Against Cleveland, Urena did not allow a run. He gave up three hits and three walks, while logging two strikeouts. He fired 46 of his 82 pitches for strikes, getting both strikeouts with his slider. Urena said he has felt cramping in his forearm before, usually when he throws a lot of curveballs.
He didn’t seem concerned about missing his next start.
“That was something I was dealing with after the fourth inning,” Urena said. “I was trying to move my hand and things like that to release the (cramping)…. Hopefully, we can take care of that.”
Through 10 starts and 54⅓ innings, Urena has a 4.14 ERA, 22 walks and 35 strikeouts. He has pitched into the sixth inning in six of his starts, including completing seven innings in four consecutive starts from April 16 to May 2.
The Tigers signed Urena to a one-year, $3.25 million contract this offseason.
Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.