Orioles left-hander Wade Miley left Friday's Grapefruit League start in Bradenton, Fla., after being hit by a line drive back up the middle.
Miley described the incident as a "pinball" situation, with the ball grazing his lower left arm before hitting him square high on the rib cage of his left side.
"But it's all good," Miley said. "It just banged me a little bit. All good."
The veteran left-hander said he hasn't had any X-rays, and the exit was "more precautionary."
"After a couple seconds, I think I could have stayed out there, but we're being safe," he said.
Miley had already endured a difficult first inning of the outing, and worked the count full to catcher Elias Diaz, the first batter of the second inning, before the at-bat in question.
Miley staggered toward the third base side, and after a brief visit from head athletic trainer Richie Bancells, pitching coach Roger McDowell, and manager Buck Showalter, he was lifted from the game. Right-hander David Hess relieved Miley, who went to the clubhouse with Bancells soon thereafter.
Friday was Miley's second start of the spring, his first coming on Feb. 26 against the Pirates. He threw two innings that day, allowing a run on two hits including a home run, but the damage in this start before he left with a 3-0 deficit was different.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk before a dribbler in front of the plate resulted in two runs after catcher Welington Castillo missed first baseman Trey Mancini with his throw. It became 3-0 on a single by designated hitter Kevin Newman before Miley got out of the inning with a double play.
"I felt like I was making some pretty good pitches, had a little bad luck," Miley said. "Got the ball out over to (leadoff hitter Starling) Marte. Had him where I wanted him, left the ball out over. He pushed it into right. Obviously, the bunt, a swinging bunt and things kind of escalated. I thought I made some pretty good pitches, felt pretty good about it. But it was just one of those days. ... You've got to put it behind you. The first inning was tough. There was one ball I hit hard. The best pitch I threw, the changeup down (to Newman), was the one that was hit the hardest."
Elias, who reached on the line drive that hit Miley, ended up scoring, leaving Miley's final line at four runs (three earned) on five hits with a walk and a strikeout.
