Zumaya reinjures shoulder and will return to Detroit for tests

Detroit’s Zumaya reinjures shoulder

NEW YORK — Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya was to return to Detroit for tests after reinjuring his pitching shoulder.

The 24-year-old right-hander was hurt in Friday night’s 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees, just after giving up a three-run homer to Mark Teixeira in the seventh.

He said he felt a “slight little pop” in his pitching shoulder on his fourth-to-last pitch, fouled off by Nick Swisher. Swisher then walked, and Melky Cabrera grounded out.

“They just did X-rays,” Zumaya said. “I’m leaving for Detroit tomorrow, and I’m going to get an MRI. I don’t even know how I threw the last three pitches. I just tried to throw them down the middle. I was in some serious pain. I couldn’t even lift my arm.”

Zumaya was 6-3 with a 1.94 ERA in 62 appearances as the Tigers won the AL pennant in 2006, displaying a 100 mph fastball. He was limited to 28 games and a 2-3 record with a 4.28 ERA the following season. He tore a tendon in his right middle finger early in the year, returned in the summer, then injured his throwing shoulder while moving items during the California wildfires and needed surgery.

He was 0-2 with a 3.47 ERA last year before a fractured shoulder ended his season in August. He pitched just once in spring training, began the season on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder and was activated April 24. Friday’s loss left him with a 3-3 record and a 4.94 ERA.

“He’s looked a little bit different for a while,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said before Zumaya revealed the injury. “It’s probably a little easier to see him than before because his arm slot is not the same. He’s pushing the ball a little bit.”

Zumaya (3-3) entered with a 3-2 lead, gave up a leadoff single to Derek Jeter and a long double to Johnny Damon that glanced off the glove of Clete Thomas and ricocheted against the wall above the right-field scoreboard.

Rather than issue an intentional walk that would load the bases for Alex Rodriguez, Zumaya pitched to Teixeira and fell behind in the count 3-1. Teixeira lined the next pitch into the second deck in right.

“He got behind Teixeira, and that’s just a death knell,” Leyland said. “The 3-0 pitch looked almost exactly like the 3-1 pitch, and he whacked it.”

Zumaya said he felt fine before the pitch to Swisher.

“My fastball was coming out good. Then I felt like a slice from my shoulder down to my armpit,” he said. “I don’t know if my velocity was there or not. It’s in the front of my shoulder.”

Zumaya was really down.

“Disgusted, upset, don’t know what to think right now,” he said. “Obviously my arm’s not right.”