Corey Kluber Exits Game With Right Shoulder Tightness

In Corey Kluber's first start since throwing a no-hitter, a sign that he had returned to form this season, the right-hander was forced to exit the game prematurely due to injury.

Kluber was taken out after three innings of work against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night with right shoulder tightness, the Yankees announced. 

The right-hander will be further evaluated tomorrow, which will include MRI imaging.

Not only did Kluber make history with a no-hitter his last time out—shutting down the Texas Rangers on Wednesday—he had been dominant all month long. Over four starts, Kluber had a 1.88 ERA in May (28.2 IP) with 31 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .153.

That came after Kluber was roughed up all throughout April, struggling with his command over his first several starts in a Yankees uniform.

The reason Kluber's shoulder injury is incredibly concerning is the right-hander's injury history. 

Kluber pitched only one inning last year, suffering a season-ending injury during his debut with the Rangers last July. Similar to Tuesday in the Bronx, Kluber left that game with right shoulder tightness. He was eventually diagnosed with a tear in his right teres muscle.

It would've been tough for Kluber to match the kind of performance he produced last time out, but early on against Toronto, it was clear the right-hander was off. Kluber had walked three batters before recording the fourth out of the game, ending up with two runs allowed on two hits. He did have five strikeouts in three frames, though.

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