The Pittsburgh Pirates lost Kevin Newman for the remainder of the season when he suffered a contusion to the peroneal nerve on his left knee after being hit by a pitch Saturday night.
Newman was hit by reliever Genesis Cabrera’s 97 mph fastball with one out in the ninth of the Pirates’ 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. After falling to the ground and clutching his knee, the second baseman was helped up by team trainers and limped off the field with assistance.
The Pirates placed Newman on the 10-day injured list Sunday, effectively ending his season. They recalled outfielder Jason Martin to take a spot on the 28-man roster.
Shelton said X-rays were negative for any broken bones.
“It got him solid,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It was loud, so he’s in a little bit of pain and he’s going to be down for a bit so we decided to IL him.”
Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes said he “can’t even imagine” getting hit there by a 97-mph pitch and feared the worst.
“The sound that it made, I thought for sure something was broken,” Hayes said. “Getting hit in the ninth inning like that is tough. I’m hoping he’s OK, hoping it’s nothing too serious so he can get back out there.”
