Andrew McCutchen exits game with apparent knee injury - MLB

Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen was forced to leave Monday night’s series opener in San Diego after suffering an apparent knee injury in the first inning. McCutchen, who drew a leadoff walk, was caught in a run-down after second baseman Ian Kinsler intentionally dropped a pop-up hit by Jean Segura. McCutchen needed assistance to leave the field.

The Phillies should provide an update on McCutchen’s status later tonight. In the meantime, recently-acquired outfielder Jay Bruce entered the game in left field and Sean Rodríguez moved from left field to center.

McCutchen, 32, inked a three-year, $50 million contract with the Phillies in December. He entered Monday’s action batting .256/.375/.457 with 10 home runs, 29 RBI, and a league-high 42 walks in 261 plate appearances.

Nick Williams, who was just sent back down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room on the roster for Bruce, may get called back up if McCutchen needs to be placed on the injured list.

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The Yankees placed Nestor Cortes on the 15-day injured list with a left rotator cuff strain that will sideline the left-hander for at least two starts.

The move is retroactive to Monday and Cortes will be shut down for at least 15 days.

After Tuesday’s game, Cortes said the shoulder has been bothering him between starts and more so after he pitched five innings May 30 in Seattle.

“I took two days off and when I got to LA and threw that first day, I didn’t feel right,” Cortes said Tuesday. “But it was first day coming back from pitching so I knew it was going to be nagging a little bit. So I waited a little bit.

“That second day in LA was when I said something because it felt like I had pitched yesterday. So I wasn’t recovering in time.”

Cortes is 5-2 with a 5.16 ERA in 11 starts and has particularly struggled later in outings. Opponents are hitting .447 when facing him for the third time in a game.

Last year, Cortes was an All-Star and went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts.

Randy Vásquez was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to take Cortes’ spot in the rotation and will make his second career start in Thursday’s doubleheader. Vásquez made his major league debut May 26 against San Diego when the Yankees needed a starter because Domingo Germán was serving a 10-game suspension for using sticky substances.