Rays' Archer exits with forearm tightness
Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Chris Archer, the American League's rookie of the month and pitcher of the month in July, exited Wednesday's game in the second inning due to forearm tightness.
Archer and the Rays led the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the second when manager Joe Maddon and a trainer went to the mound. After a discussion, Maddon called for a pitching change, bringing in Alex Torres. The move was termed precautionary by the Rays.
In five July starts, Archer went 4-0 with an 0.73 ERA, becoming just the third pitcher to sweep the monthly awards since they were inaugurated in 2001. The others were Florida Marlins left-hander Dontrelle Willis (June 2003) and Archer's teammate, right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (May 2011).
Archer lost his first start of August, allowing four runs in seven innings Friday against the San Francisco Giants, and he was charged with one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings Wednesday. On the season, Archer is 6-4 with a 2.71 ERA in 12 starts.
The 24-year-old began his pro career with the Cleveland Indians, who made him a fifth-round draft pick in 2006. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in December 2008 in a deal that sent Mark DeRosa to Cleveland. In January 2011, he was dealt to Tampa Bay in a move that brought Matt Garza to Chicago.
Archer broke into the majors with the Rays last year, going 1-3 with a 4.60 ERA in six games (four starts).
