C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo said he’s OK after being hit in the face by a throw from catcher Devin Mesoraco that forced him to leave Saturday’s Cactus League game against the Rangers.

“I wasn't feeling so hot when I was out there and if I had finished that inning, it was still burning like crazy,” Arroyo said. “If that's regular season, you can't come out of the game for that. You just can’t.”

With a 1-2 count with two outs in the second inning of Saturday’s game against the Rangers, Rangers right fielder Drew Robinson took off on a delayed steal of second and Mesoraco’s throw from behind the plate hit Arroyo on the left side of his face. Arroyo said it hit him half in the jaw, half in the neck.

Arroyo immediately jogged out to the outfield and was met by trainers and manager Bryan Price. After several minutes, he was handed the ball by home plate umpire Stu Scheurwater, but after walking toward the mound, he turned toward the Reds’ dugout.

Alejandro Chacin threw one pitch in relief, getting the Rangers’ Andy Ibanez to swing and miss for the third out of the inning. Arroyo then went to the Reds’ clubhouse in right field at Goodyear Ballpark, where he was examined by the team’s trainer, Steve Baumann, as well as a team doctor. After clearing tests for a concussion, he returned to the complex to throw 20 long-toss throws to finish his work for the day.

“It would have been nice to finish the inning,” Arroyo said. “I told them to let me just get one last hitter and get out of here. But you know, there's plenty of time to still get built up. Like I said, it wasn't terrible.”

Arroyo gave up two runs on two hits in 1 2/3 innings, including a home run by the Rangers’ Joey Gallo. He walked one and struck out two.

Arroyo, 40, is one of seven pitchers in competition for the two open spots in the team’s rotation. He gave up a two-out single to Rangers LF Ryan Rua in the first, followed by a line-drive homer to right by Gallo.

He threw 39 pitches and said he’d hoped to throw three innings and 45 pitches, so he said he should be fine to pitch again in five days.

“I feel bad. I don’t think anybody wants Bronson to make the team more than me," said Mesoraco, who also doubled for his first hit of the spring later in the game. "He didn’t get a chance to go out there and show and get his innings in. I hope he’s alright and I think things are fine.”