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Hit by pitch, Cano exits All-Star Game early

Second baseman nurses bruised right quad after Harvey misses with fastball

NEW YORK -- Robinson Cano was disappointed to be forced out of Tuesday's All-Star Game so quickly, but the Yankees second baseman said that he was relieved when X-rays came back negative and he was diagnosed with just a bruised right quadriceps.

Cano was drilled in his right leg by a 96-mph fastball from the Mets' Matt Harvey in the top of the first inning. Cano attempted to stay in the game, but voluntarily took himself off the basepaths after one batter.

"You've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Cano said. "I mean, that's like any kid's dream come true. You're in front of the home [New York] crowd, second pitch of the game. It's disappointing, but at the same time, you know that's part of the game. What else can you say?"

Harvey said that he apologized to Cano as they crossed paths during the top of the first, and Harvey said he felt "terrible" about missing his spot so badly with an inside cutter.

"Obviously that was the last thing I wanted to do, was go out there and possibly injure somebody," Harvey said. "As he was walking by, I was trying to kind of get his attention as he was going to first."

Cano offered Harvey a wink and said that he knew there was no ill will intended.

"He said, 'My bad,'" Cano said. "I said, 'No problem.' I know he didn't want to hit anybody."

The event marked Cano's fifth All-Star selection, and he has been one of the few Yankees stars to escape a serious injury thus far in a season that has been filled with them.

Cano said that he felt some tightness while taking a lead at first base and wanted to play it safe.

"I didn't want to aggravate it and just try to play through a situation," Cano said. "You just want to be out of the game and put it on ice the next two days."

Cano said that he has already heard from Yankees head athletic trainer Steve Donohue, who agreed that ice should do the trick. The Yankees want to ensure Cano will be able to play when the Bombers resume their schedule on Friday against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

"They called Steve and everything is good with them," Cano said. "They said just put ice on it, the X-ray was negative, and get some rest."

News of Cano's injury spread quickly, even to a Minor League stadium in Reading, Pa., where Alex Rodriguez opened his interview with reporters covering the Double-A Trenton Thunder with this comment:

"Before we start," Rodriguez said, "how is Robbie?"

Rodriguez was pleased to learn the answer, and no wonder. Cano is batting .302 with 21 homers -- tops among American League second basemen -- and 65 RBIs in 95 games for New York this season. Cano was replaced by the Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia as a pinch-runner, and Pedroia stayed in the game to play second base.

Following the early exit, Cano said that he would stay at Citi Field as long as it took to watch teammate Mariano Rivera enter the game -- something that Cano, and the rest of the baseball world, would get to watch in the home half of the eighth inning.

"It's an honor being here with Mariano in his last All-Star Game," Cano said. "He's a guy that has seen me coming up, has always given me good advice and has always been there for me. Just to be here with him in his last year, it's an honor."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat.
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