MESA, Arizona — Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland injured his shoulder during a spring training game on Tuesday afternoon with the Oakland Athletics.
Pitching in the third inning, Freeland spiked a pitch against Oakland batter Mark Canha then immediately grabbed his left arm in pain and grimaced while walking around the field.
He was replaced by Yency Almonte after exiting the game with trainers. The team says it's a shoulder strain for Freeland, but didn't provide details on the severity or how long he might be out.
Freeland is projected to be the team's No. 2 pitcher in the rotation.
A Denver native and Thomas Jefferson graduate, Freeland was excellent in 2018 and a contender for the Cy Young award. He went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA.
Freeland struggled in 2019, with an ERA of 6.73 and even spent some time in AAA. In the shortened 2020 season he had a 2-3 record with a 4.33 ERA.
The Rockies are scheduled to open the season at home on April 1 against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
>> Video at top of story: Re-living Freeland's Major League debut
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