Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Esmerlyn Valdez was forced to leave Monday night's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks after being struck by a pitch on his hand and wrist area.
The incident occurred in the fourth inning at Pittsburgh, with the game still scoreless. Valdez was hit by a 1-1 pitch thrown by Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly.
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Valdez immediately showed signs of pain near home plate, prompting the team trainer and manager to examine him.
He was replaced on base by pinch-runner Jared Triolo, who was later picked off to end the inning.
The 22-year-old outfielder has made a significant impact in his first 38 major league games, posting a .
290 batting average with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs. He also has a .
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382 on-base percentage and a 1.084 OPS.
Valdez has been particularly hot at the plate, batting .
406 in June and hitting eight home runs in July as part of 12 extra-base hits across 75 at-bats.
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Further evaluation on the severity of the injury has not yet been provided.
