HOUSTON — Seattle right-hander Bryan Woo exited the Mariners’ 4-0 win over the Houston Astros because of pectoral tightness after throwing a couple of warmup pitches in the sixth inning Friday night.
Shortly after Woo started warming up on the mound for the sixth, a team trainer and coaches came out. After a brief discussion, the All-Star exited with the trainer, and Eduard Bazardo replaced him.
“He had a little pec tightness,” manager Dan Wilson said after the Mariners’ victory, which vaulted them into first place in the American League West. “He kind of gave us a heads-up and that was why Bazardo was getting loose. We will know more tomorrow. Likely an MRI, and we will get to know a little bit more tomorrow, but that’s all we know at this point.”
Woo said he “felt a little tightness” but came out to try to throw in the sixth.
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“It didn’t feel like it was best for the team,” he said. “I felt like Baz was ready to go. We’ll get some stuff done [Saturday], and I’ll know more. I really don’t know much.”
Woo said he had “felt great all game,” and that the tightness happened in the fifth.
“I just felt it at the end,” he said. “I thought it was smart to not try to push it.”
Wilson said when Woo returned to the dugout after the fifth, he told the coaching staff about the issue.
“So, that’s why we were semi-prepared. He was going to give it a shot and still felt tight, so we went to Bazardo at that point,” Wilson said.
Woo cruised through five innings, yielding one hit and one walk while striking out seven in the opener of a pivotal series between the rivals, who began the night tied atop the division.
“It’s a big series, obviously, but I tried to treat it like any other game,” Woo said. “Obviously, take care of business and come out with some urgency, but don’t try to do anything more. Just do your job.”
Woo got the win, improving to 15-7. He threw 67 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.94. Carlos Correa got the only hit off Woo, a double with one out in the fourth.
Woo has 198 strikeouts this season.
“I think you’re obviously concerned in some ways, but in other ways, Bryan’s a tough cookie,” Wilson said. “It was smart that he let us know. There was no reason to push it. We will just find out more [Saturday].”
