Chicago White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd was removed from his scheduled start against the Mariners on Sunday, after the 29-year-old right-hander experienced elbow discomfort after just two innings
Floyd tossed only 30 pitches in the series' decisive game before reporting his elbow pain to coaches, and eventually gave way to White Sox reliever Hector Santiago, a player who may just ascend into the starting rotation should Floyd be forced to miss significant time.
Entering the day with a 9-9 record and higher than expected 4.55 earned-run average, Floyd has been a source of ire for both Chicago fans and coaches as of late for his inconsistent play. The tipping point for many might have been his Aug. 20 outing against the Yankees where he lasted just 2.1 innings and gave up five hits, four walks and three runs in a losing effort.
The team will send Floyd through a gamut of tests to determine the extent of his injury, but there's no denying how truly close the veteran pitcher was to being dropped from the rotation altogether. Even though it's clear the White Sox want Floyd to avoid the disabled list in the coming days, a youngster like Santiago (24 years old) could present a good deal of upside down the stretch.
Head over to South Side Sox for more news on Floyd's injury, and be sure to check out Baseball Nation for even more coverage from around the league.