Boston Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck exited Friday night's start against the New York Yankees (GameTracker) in the fifth inning after being hit in the face with a Kyle Higashioka batted ball. Houck fell to his knees before eventually leaving under his own power. He appeared to be bleeding from his right cheek before applying a towel to the area, suggesting that may have been the point of contact. (Higashioka's batted ball was measured by Statcast as having an exit velocity of 89.7 mph.)
Houck had pitched well before the incident. In four innings, he had surrendered one run on four hits and a walk. He had also struck out two batters and had thrown 41 of his 59 pitches for strikes.
The Red Sox inserted left-handed reliever Joe Jacques in Houck's place. Jacques, a former 33rd-round pick, only recently made his big-league debut after appearing in more than 140 minor-league games.
Houck, 26, entered Friday having compiled a 5.23 ERA (87 ERA+) and a 2.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio across his first 12 starts. He appeared to be en route to his second consecutive quality start -- with both, coincidentally, coming against the Yankees.
It's too early to know if or how Houck's availability for his next start will be impacted. The Red Sox have suffered their fair share of rotation injuries this season, though at this point only veteran lefty Chris Sale is on the shelf. (Sale has been sidelined since June 1 with shoulder inflammation.)
The Red Sox entered Friday with a 34-35 record on the season, putting them in last place in the American League East. They trailed the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by 14 ½ games.
