Vince Velasquez Pulled After Two Pitches with Injury

Vincent Velasquez was taken out of Wednesday with right bicep soreness

Not good news for Phillies fans or coaches. Vincent Velasquez has left his start against the Chicago Cubs after throwing just two pitches with the Phillies training staff.

Brett Oberholtzer was brought in to the game in relief of the young, rising star pitcher.

Velasquez threw two change-ups with very slow velocity and was able to get Dexter Fowler out, but he walked off the mound knowing there was something wrong.

As you can see, Velasquez doesn’t grab anything or wince, he and Cameron Rupp just know something is not right.

Velasquez has had Tommy John Surgery in the past on his elbow, which creates some major red flags for any Phillies fan. He entered Wednesdays game with a 5-2 record and a 3.67 ERA. He has 73 strikeouts in just over 61 innings and has held hitters to a .243 batting average this season.

His 73 strikeouts were ranked among the top 20 pitchers in all of baseball. In a season full of questions, Vincent Velasquez was one of the only true bright lights with a glimmering hope towards a bright future in Philadelphia Phillies baseball.

Vincent Velasquez was acquired from the Houston Astros in the Ken Giles trade over the offseason along with Oberholzter and a package of other prospects. He has quickly become a fan favorite with his high strikeout rate and emotion on the mound.

Should Velasquez need to sit out for an extended period of time, the Phillies could call up veteran pitcher James Russell from Triple-A Lehigh Valley or possibly give prospects Ben Lively or Zach Eflin a look after strong starts in Lehigh Valley and Reading.

We will keep you updated on the status of Vincent Velasquez and the rest of todays Phillies/Cubs game at Citizens Bank Park.