Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober said he believes an elbow injury that currently has him on the 15-day injured list is the result of the baseballs used in his May 24 start against the Red Sox in Boston.
That game, a 6-5 Twins win, was played in a steady rain that turned the Fenway Park infield into mush and left Boston starter Sonny Gray calling the conditions "absolutely brutal."
Ober told The Minnesota Star Tribune that the baseballs used that day were the worst rubbed he's seen in his six big league seasons, leading to grip issues throughout his five innings.
"The only way to be able to throw slick baseballs is to grip them harder, so you can execute your pitches," he said, according to the Star Tribune. "If not, you're not going to know where the ball is going, especially with breaking pitches."
Ober (6-3, 4.59 ERA) made one more start against the Pirates on Saturday, then was placed on the IL the following day due to right elbow inflammation. He is expected to miss about a month.
He said he and the team traced the injury back to that start at Fenway.
"I didn't feel anything during the game per se, but after the game, my arm was beat up," he said, according to the Star Tribune. "It got better throughout the week going into Pittsburgh, and then the second inning [Saturday], it just popped back up again.
"(Me and the Twins athletic trainer Nick Paparesta) both kind of came to the conclusion, and other people said, 'Well, you probably did this in Boston.'"
According to the Star Tribune, Twins manager Derek Shelton filed a complaint on the pitcher's behalf with Major League Baseball, which the outlet said reviewed the baseballs from that game and deemed them up to the league's standards.