Norris exits start, but injury isn't serious

ARLINGTON -- Orioles starter Bud Norris exited Wednesday's game against the Rangers after five innings with a right forearm contusion although the team doesn't believe it's anything serious.

"I think he'll be fine," manager Buck Showalter said of Norris, who came out to check on his pitcher after he was struck by Mitch Moreland's two-out liner in the fifth. "He made some good pitches after he got hit."

Norris took Moreland's ball off his arm after failing to get a glove on it, and was in immediate pain as head athletic trainer Richie Bancells and Showalter came out to the mound. He stayed in after a few warmup pitches, but served up a three-run homer to the following batter, Adrian Beltre, who delivered his second long ball of the night.

"Pretty sore," Norris said of his forearm postgame. "You never want to get smoked by a comebacker but the trainers will look at it the next couple days and get rid of the swelling as best I can.

"You don't know where you want to get hit, but I guess the forearm [is an OK spot]. Like I said, I got some muscle there, I can flex this. You never want to get hit there but it's part of the game as well."

Norris, who had allowed just one home run over his previous three starts coming in, tied a season-high in runs allowed (5) and a season low in innings, turning in his worst outing since his season debut on April 5.