KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals right-hander Yordano “Ace” Ventura was having his way with the Chicago White Sox until the seventh inning Monday.
After throwing a strike to Adam LaRoche, Ventura fell to the grass in pain. Two Royals trainers and manager Ned Yost rushed to the fallen right-hander.
There was silence among the 40,085 fans at Kauffman Stadium as Ventura walked to the dugout and trainer’s room to be examined.
It turned out to be not serious, diagnosed as a thumb cramp on his pitching hand.
“I felt the thumb lock up on me,” Ventura said with teammate Jeremy Guthrie acting as interpreter. “My first thought it was something really bad, but I’m really happy that it’s not. I’m not concerned about it at all. It’s just a cramp though, but it surprised me.”
Yost said he anticipates Ventura will not miss a start. He will be evaluated later during the week.
Ventura, who threw 81 pitches, held the White Sox to one run — a Jose Abreu homer — and four hits over six-plus innings in the Royals’ 10-1 win over the White Sox.