Arenado exits WBC semifinal after taking pitch off hand

Team USA third baseman Nolan Arenado was forced to leave Sunday's World Baseball Classic semifinal against Cuba after getting hit on the right hand by a pitch from Elian Leyva.

X-rays on the St. Louis Cardinals superstar were negative, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said postgame that Arenado was fine and that "he would have fought" to continue had the score been closer, according to ESPN's Marly Rivera.

The incident happened on a checked swing with two on and two out in the bottom of the fifth.

The seven-time All-Star was replaced by Bobby Witt Jr. as a pinch runner. Witt, a Kansas City Royals shortstop, stayed in defensively at third base to start the sixth inning.

Arenado, a five-time Silver Slugger and 10-time Gold Glover winner, entered Sunday's contest going 9-for-23 in the tournament with three doubles, a triple, and five RBIs.