PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks are optimistic that outfielder Corbin Carroll was not seriously injured when he hyperextended his right elbow while swinging and missing during his seventh-inning strikeout in Sunday’s 8-7 extra-inning win over the Cardinals.
Carroll winced in pain as he completed the swing, but stayed in the game to play defense in the eighth and ninth innings. Jorge Barrosa, though, pinch-hit for Carroll in the ninth, striking out against Cardinals reliever Luis Gastelum.
"Just hyperextended that elbow and it lingered on me," Carroll said. "I'd done it on a couple swings before the [All-Star] break, but they didn't linger. This one just lingered a little bit, but not concerned about it."
It did not bother Carroll on defense since it isn't his throwing arm, so that's why he was able to initially stay in the game. He hoped it would loosen up before his next at-bat, but it didn't.
"Just was having difficulty kind of getting that arm back extended without it kind of tightening up, guarding up on me," Carroll said.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that he was not overly concerned about the severity of the injury.
Carroll said he might need a day off and Lovullo said no imaging was planned on the elbow, which reinforces the notion that the injury is not serious.
While Carroll has been struggling at the plate over the last few weeks (slashing .118/.250/.235 in July), the Diamondbacks cannot afford to lose his bat in the lineup for a prolonged period of time.