Pain in neck: Marlins shelve injured SP Max Meyer originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Miami Marlins will be forced to continue their surprising run for an NL playoff spot without their emerging ace.
The Marlins announced Monday that pitcher Max Meyer (9-1) was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained neck. The All-Star right-hander sustained the injury during last Saturday’s 8-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
Making his first start in 10 days – he did not pitch in last Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia – Meyer surrendered two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks. The span between starts proved to be the longest of his four-year career.
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Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said before Monday’s game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park that Meyer “felt a little sensation in the neck area” during a start July 7 that had yet to disappear.
After feeling similar pains Saturday, McCullough pulled Meyer, who will be examined by a specialist later this week.
“Certainly, (there’s) a level concern that he’s gonna go to the IL and have to be down for at least a couple of weeks, but I think right now (they) just want to get a fuller picture of what’s going on and what’s leading to this,” McCullough said, as reported by ESPN.com.
The Marlins (52-48) entered Monday six games behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves. They were tied with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates for the third NL Wild Card spot.
In 20 starts during his breakout campaign, Meyer, a 2017 34th-round draft pick, posted a 2.68 ERA, ninth-best among MLB starting pitchers. In 111 innings, he collected 121 strikeouts, which ranked No. 8.
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