PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Phillies pitcher Jake Arrieta left his start Thursday in the fourth inning with shoulder stiffness. He was not alarmed and called the exit precautionary.
Tests came back normal, and Arrieta said he would have stayed in if it was a regular-season game. He emphasized that it was not an injury.
Arrieta allowed a home run to Tampa Bay’s Hunter Renfroe then recorded the first out of the bottom of the fourth. He was visited on the mound by catcher Andrew Knapp and pitching coach Bryan Price quickly joined them. After several moments of discussion, manager Joe Girardi and athletic trainer Shawn Fcasni joined the group on the mound. Arrieta walked off the mound with Fcasni by his side. The pitcher then huddled in the dugout with Price, Girardi and the athletic training staff.
Between innings, Arrieta walked to the clubhouse with Fcasni.
"He basically said he was stiff," manager Joe Girardi said. "He had no strength issues. We feel pretty good about it. It’s not like he walked off feeling pain. He just felt a little stiff so we thought it was in our best interest to get him out."
Arrieta pitched 3⅓ innings and gave up three hits and two runs.
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