Capps optimistic elbow issue is minor
Marlins righty to undergo MRI, but was already feeling better following early exit
MIAMI -- Marlins right-handed reliever Carter Capps exited Sunday's 5-2 win against the Padres with elbow stiffness after throwing 13 pitches in the eighth inning. He is considered day to day.
Following the contest, the 24-year-old was upbeat, saying the elbow "just cramped up on me and I couldn't seem to shake it back out." He will get an MRI on Monday morning, but called it "precautionary."
"I passed all the tests and everything," Capps said. "I'm not really concerned. I'm just frustrated it tightened up when the game was on the line."
With one out, Capps threw strike two to Justin Upton, but he appeared to be experiencing pain following the pitch and promptly exited the game. He was replaced by lefty Mike Dunn, who inherited an 0-2 count with runners on first and second and the Marlins ahead, 2-0. Dunn struck out Upton and escaped the inning unharmed.
"His last two pitches were both upper-90s," manager Dan Jennings said. "But once that occurred, there's no way you're going to leave a guy like that, with that special of an arm, in."
The hard-throwing Capps, who has a 1.16 ERA this season, allowed a hit, a walk and recorded a strikeout in one-third of an inning prior to exiting. He sprained his right elbow last season -- making a stint on the 60-day disabled list and missing almost three months -- and added that Sunday's elbow stiffness felt nothing like that injury.
"That definitely gives me comfort," Capps said. "It already feels better now and I have full range of motion. I passed all the tests. It's really not an issue, unfortunately it just cramped up on me."