Ross had just gotten Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis to line out for the first out of the fourth inning, when Mike Maddux hurried out to the mound to talk to him. A few seconds into the conversation, Maddux called for trainer Paul Lessard, who chatted with Ross for a few minutes before they walked off the mound together.

“Well, we saw his velocity was like 89 [mph], 88, and then Mike [Maddux] saw something,” Baker said, “and we decided to take Joe out, especially when he walked those two guys in front of Freddie [Freeman, who homered in the third]. Those balls weren’t even close.”

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Baker said Ross was scheduled for an MRI exam, which was still underway after the game, the results therefore unavailable to reporters before the team scattered for the break. Ross suffered no blatant blows and displayed no obvious grimaces. But he did show signs of trouble. Ross, whose fastball velocity averaged 94 mph last season, has averaged 92 this season. Sunday, his fastball sat at 88 and 89, so slow it often traveled the same speed as his newly added change-up, which was in that case poorly named.

“I didn’t really think much of it the inning before, but he had some pitches that just didn’t have the finish on it that they did before. And then he came out to the first hitter the next inning, and he just didn’t have the life on it that he had before in the game,” catcher Matt Wieters said. “So I just wanted to go out there and make sure we don’t do any damage to something that hopefully we can get fixed quick.”

Velocity dips like that often betray arm trouble of some kind, and Ross has a history of it. He missed three months of last season with inflammation in his right shoulder, although he recovered in time to pitch Game 4 of the National League Division Series. But this season, he did not look like himself in spring training and told his manager as much, too. He began the season with Class AAA Syracuse, working to establish more consistent mechanics and keep his arm slot high.

As far as Baker knew, Ross had not had any triceps trouble before Sunday. He did not throw a bullpen after his last start, which was a strong seven-inning showing July 4 against the Mets. He and Roark both eschewed their regular routines in case they were needed out of the bullpen in the last few days, the usual approach to the end of the first half, when four days of rest (and more for most starters) is guaranteed. Ross played catch and threw on flat ground in the days since that start and betrayed no signs of trouble.

“To the best of my knowledge,” Baker said, “it just popped up today.”