▲ In this Associated Press photo, St. Louis Cardinals' starter Kim Kwang-hyun (C) walks off the field with trainer Chris Conroy (R) and interpreter Craig Choi before the start of the top of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on June 4, 2021. (Yonhap)
▲ In this Associated Press photo, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on June 4, 2021. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) MLB-Cardinals pitcher

(LEAD) Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun exits game early with back injury

(ATTN: UPDATES with final score; ADDS photos)

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, June 5 (Yonhap) -- St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean starter Kim Kwang-hyun left his start early with a lower back injury.

Kim walked off the field after throwing warmup pitches before the start of the top of the fourth against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Friday (local time). The Cardinals later announced Kim had a lower back issue, the same problem that had him on the injured list at the start of this season.

The Reds were up 3-0 at that point, with Kim having allowed a solo home run to Tyler Stephenson and a two-run shot to Jonathan India in the second inning. The Reds took the game 6-4.

Those two home runs were the only hits Kim allowed in three innings. He struck out three and walked none.

Kim fell to 1-4, and his ERA went up from 3.65 to 4.05. He has now lost four consecutive starts.

Kim had allowed three home runs all season in eight starts before this game and served up two long balls in the second inning alone.

Kim's injury is the latest blow to the already decimated Cardinals' rotation. Two other starters, Jack Flaherty (oblique) and Miles Mikolas (forearm), are on the injured list.

Jake Woodford took over from Kim.

Kim had a clean first inning, which included a strikeout of the leadoff man, Eugenio Suarez.

But things quickly went sour in the second inning, as Stephenson led things off with a solo shot to left field. Two batters later, Kim hit Kyle Farmer and then India made it 3-0 Reds with a two-run blast to left.

Kim retired the side in order in the third, but his day ended abruptly before he could throw a pitch in the fourth.

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