Andrew Faulkner leaves game with lightheadedness

Texas Rangers lefthanded pitcher Andrew Faulkner was lifted from today’s spring training game after just one pitch. Faulkner missed the target badly on the pitch, with the ball apparently going back to the screen, before the trainer came out and Faulkner was lifted.

Faulkner, 24, is battling for a bullpen spot this spring. Faulkner had an impressive major league debut in 2015, when he was called up for the final 6 weeks of the year, and then made the team for Opening day in 2016. He never found a groove, however, and bounced up and down between the majors and minors a couple of times, putting up a 6.75 ERA in 9 major league appearances and a 3.97 ERA in 41 appearances for AAA Round Rock.

An alarming development, but hopefully it isn’t anything serious. Still, when a pitcher walks off the mound after one pitch, its never a good feeling...

UPDATE — Faulkner apparently was feeling lightheaded, which resulted in him being lifted. No injury, it seems, which is good news.