New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson suffered a fractured right forearm Sunday after being hit by a pitch in his first at-bat in a spring training game and will be out until at least the first week of May.
Granderson was hit by a 2-2 pitch from J.A. Happ and left the game in obvious pain. Originally, the injury was announced as a bruised forearm but he was taken to a local hospital for X-rays, which revealed the fracture.
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Granderson was set to play his first game in left field as the Yankees experiment with moving Brett Gardner to center field, but he never got a chance after he was hurt in the top of the first inning.
Hitting with two runners on and two out in the first, Granderson took Happ’s pitch off his right hand and was met at first base by manager Joe Girardi and a team trainer.
Granderson has been the Yankees’ starting center fielder since he was acquired from the Detroit Tigers as part of a three-way trade. He has led the Yankees in home runs the last two seasons, but his defense has come under scrutiny.
With Gardner back after missing most of last season due to an elbow injury, Granderson was to be tried in left field for the first time since 2007, when he played two games there.
Granderson was replaced in left field by Ronnier Mustelier.