Guardians rookie pitcher exits start early with hip injury

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Guardians rookie right-hander Tanner Bibee exited Saturday’s start against the Texas Rangers with what initially appeared to be a foot injury. The Guardians are calling Bibee’s condition “right hip tightness.”

In the fifth inning, Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras lined a pitch off Bibee’s right foot. Bibee recovered to field the ball and retire Tavares at first base. He stayed in the game, allowing a base hit to Evan Carter and a double to Marcus Semien before retiring Corey Seager on a line drive to right field to end the inning.

At the start of the sixth, Bibee got Nathaniel Lowe to ground out to open the inning, but threw three consecutive balls to Mitch Garver before walking behind the mound in obvious pain.

Bibee exited the game after a brief conversation with Cleveland trainers and manager Terry Francona. He worked 5 1/3 innings, throwing 84 pitches and allowing a run on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

In Bibee’s last start against Texas on July 16, he was struck on the foot by a line drive off the bat of Travis Jankowski and later was nearly hit in the head by a line drive back to the mound.

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