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Sabathia exits potential final appearance with shoulder injury

Elsa / Getty Images Sport / Getty

CC Sabathia's career may have come to a premature end during Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday against the Houston Astros.

The New York Yankees left-hander was escorted off the mound with a trainer after suffering an injury in the eighth inning of an eventual 8-3 loss.

Manager Aaron Boone confirmed postgame that Sabathia suffered a shoulder injury. The extent of the injury isn't yet known.

"We gotta see more about it, but ... not good, with the shoulder," Boone said, according to SNY.

Sabathia was summoned out of the bullpen after Adam Ottavino allowed back-to-back baserunners to start the frame. Yordan Alvarez cashed in one of the inherited runners, but the 39-year-old veteran bounced back to retire Carlos Correa on a line drive.

He then plunked Robinson Chirinos, got Aledmys Diaz to fly out, and then worked a 2-1 count on George Springer before needing to recompose himself. After throwing one warm-up pitch in front of a raucous Yankee Stadium crowd, Sabathia walked off the mound and sat down on the clubhouse steps. He was relieved by Jonathan Loaisiga.

"That’s our leader, man. He gave it all that he had," Aaron Judge said, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Prior to the 2019 season, Sabathia made it known that his 19th season would be his last. With the Yankees now facing elimination on Friday, it seems unlikely that Sabathia will pitch again unless the injury proves minor.

Before the postseason got underway, Sabathia shared that he likely would have undergone season-ending knee surgery if this wasn't his final campaign and if the Yankees weren't "in a position to win a championship."

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