Homer Bailey Injury: Updates on Reds Pitcher's Knee and Return

Updates from Friday, July 18

John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports the latest on Bailey's status:

Original Text

Just five months after signing a massive contract with the Cincinnati Reds, Homer Bailey appears to have suffered an injury while pitching Thursday against the Chicago Cubs.

The team's official account reported the news on Twitter:

John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reveals the seemingly insignificant nature of the injury:

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports provided more on the scene from the ballpark:

Fay hilights Bailey's history with knee injuries:

On the year, Bailey has gone 8-5 with a 4.21 ERA and 105 strikeouts including Thursday's contest. Prior to the season, he agreed to a new six-year, $105 million contract with a mutual option for a seventh year.

Bailey landed on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury in 2011 but has been a consistent force since that point.

Al Behrman/Associated Press

While his numbers haven't been spectacular this year, he's still toed the rubber over 30 times in each of the last two seasons. He's also pitched over 200 innings each of those years, making him a durable option for any rotation.

Entering Thursday, the Reds were 49-42 and clawing their way back into the NL Central race thanks to a five-game winning streak. With the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals still atop the standings, Cincinnati can't afford to lose the consistent starter for any length of time.

Luckily for the Reds, the All-Star break is coming, which will allow Bailey some time to recuperate. With no word on whether or not Bailey will have to miss time, the Reds now are just hoping the pitcher's injury is minor.

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