TORONTO — Colorado Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner left Tuesday’s start against the Toronto Blue Jays two batters after he was struck by a 106 mph line drive.
The Rockies said Feltner exited because of a right glute contusion.
“Felt’s going to be fine,” manager Warren Schaeffer said after Colorado lost 5-1. “He took a hard line drive off the hip. Tightened up in between innings so not able to go back out, but I think we avoided something bad.”
Feltner said he was sore after being hit but didn’t expect to miss a start.
“It got me in a good spot,” he said. “I’m lucky in that way but it’s definitely starting to get pretty stiff right now.”
Feltner retired the first eight batters in order before he was hit by a liner off the bat of Blue Jays infielder Andrés Giménez. The ball struck Feltner near his hip and rolled away for an infield single.
“Just got all muscle,” Feltner said.
Schaeffer and the trainer checked on Feltner, who remained in the game. George Springer followed with a walk but Feltner ended the inning by getting Jesús Sánchez to ground out on the first pitch.
“He showed some guts there, going through injury,” Schaeffer said. “When he covered first to end the inning there, he was kind of hobbling around a little bit. He gave us all he had.”
Feltner struck out four in his three innings. Juan Mejia took over in the fourth.
“I thought Felt was exceptional in those three innings,” Schaeffer said. “He attacked in the zone. I was very proud of him tonight.”
In 2023, Feltner was hospitalized because of a skull fracture and concussion after getting hit by a line drive off the bat of Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos.
Feltner didn’t pitch after April 28 last season because of back and shoulder issues. He called it “special” to be back on a big league mound for the first time in almost a year.
“Long year for me last year in a lot of different ways,” he said. “I was really grateful to pitch in a big league game today.”
