Rockies’ Jhoulys Chacin exits with oblique stiffness

Colorado Rockies right-handed starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin exited last night’s game suddenly in the seventh inning after grabbing at his left side, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. The Rockies have since described the injury as oblique stiffness, and Chacin said after the game that he felt something pull in his back and side. "I don't know, it was kind of right in the middle -- could be my oblique, could be my back," Chacin said. "I just felt something pull." Prior to the injury, Chacin had held the Arizona Diamondbacks scoreless over his first 6 1/3 innings. He threw one pitch to D’backs outfielder Cody Ross, and quickly grabbed at his side. He threw another fastball and proceeded to walk around the mound in obvious discomfort. The right-hander was then removed from the game. Chacin will be checked out today, and the extent of the injury should become clearer. Both oblique and back injuries aren’t easy to put a return timeframe on, and any significant period without Chacin would be a huge blow to the upstart Rockies. Colorado has won seven games in a row, and Chacin has played a large role in the team’s early-season success. After leaving the game, Chacin’s ERA is down to 1.46, and the 25-year-old is 3-0 so far this season. Follow @mlbinjurynews Looking for fantasy baseball advice?