Corey Kluber Exits Game With Right Shoulder Tightness

New York Yankees starting pitcher Corey Kluber exited the game on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium with right shoulder tightness

Max Goodman | May 25, 2021

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

In Corey Kluber's first start since throwing a no-hitter, a sign that he had returned to form this season, the right-hander was forced to exit the game prematurely due to injury.

Kluber was taken out after three innings of work against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night with right shoulder tightness, the Yankees announced.

The right-hander will be further evaluated tomorrow, which will include MRI imaging.

Not only did Kluber make history with a no-hitter his last time out—shutting down the Texas Rangers on Wednesday—he had been dominant all month long. Over four starts, Kluber had a 1.88 ERA in May (28.2 IP) with 31 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .153.

That came after Kluber was roughed up all throughout April, struggling with his command over his first several starts in a Yankees uniform.

The reason Kluber's shoulder injury is incredibly concerning is the right-hander's injury history.

Kluber pitched only one inning last year, suffering a season-ending injury during his debut with the Rangers last July. Similar to Tuesday in the Bronx, Kluber left that game with right shoulder tightness. He was eventually diagnosed with a tear in his right teres muscle.

It would've been tough for Kluber to match the kind of performance he produced last time out, but early on against Toronto, it was clear the right-hander was off. Kluber had walked three batters before recording the fourth out of the game, ending up with two runs allowed on two hits. He did have five strikeouts in three frames, though.

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), on Facebook (also @MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

Published May 25, 2021

MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.