Cavalli was lifted midway through the third inning of his start Sunday against the Pirates due to an apparent injury, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports. He allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 2.1 innings prior to departing.
Fresh off striking out a career-high 13 batters while yielding just one hit over seven innings in his previous start Tuesday in Boston, Cavalli was unable to keep the momentum going. He needed 63 pitches to record his seven outs, and seemed to be pitching through an injury during the start. His velocity was down from its usual levels throughout the afternoon, and he was visited on the mound by the Nationals' athletic trainer at one point during the second inning before leaving the game one frame later. Expect manager Blake Butera to shed light on Cavalli's condition when he address the media following Sunday's game.