Well, that's not good.
Braves lefty Kolby Allard was removed from Sunday afternoon's game for medical reasons in the top of the 2nd inning.
Kolby Allard exits the game with a trainer in the second inning.
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) July 16, 2023
Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/JJO2F1Jmhg
Allard, making his third start of the season for Atlanta after starting the season on the injured list, wasn't having a lot of success against Chicago. He faced eight batters, giving up four singles, a walk, a two-run homerun in the 1st inning, and four runs.
Reliever Collin McHugh came on to replace Allard, and was given additional time to warm up on the mound.
On the Bally Sports Southeast broadcast, former Braves reliever and color analyst Peter Moylan speculated that it was some sort of finger issue - either a blister or a contusion - that forced Allard from the game. He mentioned briefly seeing redness and blood in one camera shot before the trainer came out, had a brief chat with Allard, and walked with him back to the dugout.
The Braves are down by four runs in the final game of the series, which is split 1-1 between Atlanta and Chicago. At stake is Atlanta's eleven game series winning streak - they last dropped a series in late May, to the Oakland Athletics. They're down four runs in the bottom of the 2nd in this one and already into the bullpen, although tomorrow's off day helps alleviate the workloan concerns for a bullpen that is already missing righthander AJ Minter to a pec strain.
UPDATE: The Braves have announced that Allard was removed with shoulder tightness.
LHP Kolby Allard was removed from today’s game due to left shoulder tightness.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 16, 2023
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