Rays CF Kiermaier departs with hand injury | Sportsxchange – Rockdale Newton Citizen

Tampa Bay center fielder Kevin Kiermaier departed the Rays' American League Championship Series game against the Houston Astros on Tuesday with a bruised left hand, but he said after the game he is focused on getting back into the lineup.

Kiermaier got hurt when he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning.

Appearing on the TBS postgame show with his hand and wrist wrapped, the Rays having just won 5-2 to take a 3-0 series lead in San Diego, Kiermaier was able to laugh about the injury.

"It feels like I got hit by 99 (mph) right in the wrist," he joked. "But we'll be OK. We got great trainers here. (I'll) try to recover as quick as I can, but it feels like how it should I feel like after getting hit by 99."

"Try to be hockey tough," he added.

Kiermaier yelled out loudly after the 0-2 fastball by Houston right-hander Enoli Paredes hit the hand. He was examined by trainers and initially stayed in the game and scored one of the runs in Tampa Bay's five-run inning.

But Kiermaier, a two-time Gold Glove winner, didn't take the field for the bottom of the sixth as he instead went to get X-rays. Hunter Renfroe, who pinch-hit during the sixth inning, stayed in the game in right field as Manuel Margot moved to center.

TBS soon reported that X-rays were negative.

Kiermaier was 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting. He is 2-for-9 in the series.

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Rays CF Kiermaier departs with hand injury | Sportsxchange - Rockdale Newton Citizen