PITTSBURGH — Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco was removed from Friday night’s game in the bottom of the third, two innings after being struck in the left wrist by a pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole.
The Phillies said the move was for precautionary reasons and came after Franco singled in the third inning in his second plate appearance. Andres Blanco took Franco’s place.
Phillies rookie right-hander Zach Eflin hit Pirates centerfielder Andrew McCutchen in the rear end with a pitch in the bottom of the first inning, causing home plate umpire Tony Randazzo to warn both teams that another hit batter could lead to ejections.
Franco leads the team with 18 home runs and 55 RBIs while batting .257 in 92 games.
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