Vince Velasquez injury update: Phillies starter takes liner to arm

We have the latest Vince Velasquez injury update after the Phillies starter went down early in a start against the Washington Nationals

Phillies starter Vince Velasquez went down in the top of the second inning against the Washington Nationals after taking a line drive off his pitching arm.

After the ball ricocheted off Velasquez the righty chased the ball off the mound, threw off his glove, and threw the ball to first left-handed to get the final out of the inning.

Immediately after recording the out, Velasquez dropped to the grass and writhed in pain as his teammates, coaches, and team trainer Scott Sheridan surrounded him.

Here’s a video of the play by Velasquez

Sheridan helped Velasquez off the field with his right arm held horizontally stomach high.

Velasquez had allowed one run off three hits in the first two innings against Washington with three strikeouts.

If Velasquez is out for an extended period of time, the Phillies have multiple pitchers in Triple-A Lehigh Valley worthy of a major league call-up. Enyel De Los Santos is scheduled to pitch Saturday evening, lining him up perfectly in the Phillies major league rotation.

Acquired for Freddy Galvis from the Padres De Los Santos is 7-3 with a strong 1.73 ERA for the IronPigs. He’s worked his way to be a top-15 prospect for the Phillies.

Lefty Cole Irvin could be the first southpaw to start for the Phillies this year after going 8-3 with a 2.54 ERA with the IronPigs. A fifth-round pick in 2016 out of Oregon, Irvin is a top-25 prospect in the organization.

We’ll keep you updated on the health of Vince Velasquez after the line drive.