MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers believe the right hamstring cramp that caused pitcher Brandon Sproat to leave his start in the fourth inning Wednesday night won't have any long-term consequences.
“It's just a cramp,” manager Pat Murphy said after the Brewers' 9-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. “He was fine. He'll be able to make his next start.”
After Sproat threw an 0-1 pitch for a ball to Steven Kwan, Brewers head athletic trainer Brad
Epstein went to the pitcher’s mound to check on the right-hander. Sproat then left the game, as Chad Patrick came out of the bullpen to replace him.
Sproat said he was dealing with the cramp for much of the fourth inning. After retiring nine straight battters through the first three innings, Sproat allowed a grand slam to Daniel Schneemann in the fourth.
“The whole fourth inning, whenever my back leg would swing around, that hamstring wanted to cramp up on me,” Sproat said. “Trying to push through it, and it just kind of got worse as I kept going on. Obviously the long inning didn't help. But we went and got it checked out with the trainers and stuff like that, and I'm not going to miss any time."
Sproat allowed two walks and a single to the first three hitters he faced in the fourth. After Rhys Hoskins struck out, Schneemann sent a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall.
Sproat then retired David Fry on a pop fly before leaving during Kwan’s plate appearance.
After the game, Sproat was asked how much the cramp might have contributed to his struggles in the fourth inning.
“It's one of those things where you know it's there,” Sproat said. “It's really just one of those things that's annoying, I guess, is the best way to put it.”
The Brewers acquired Sproat in a January trade that sent two-time All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets. Sproat is 1-4 with a 5.94 ERA in his first full season in the major leagues.
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