Boston Red Sox starter Brian Johnson left Wednesday night's game against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning with left shoulder discomfort.
He will be re-evaluated on Friday in Boston.
Johnson said he started to feel tightness during warm-ups and came out as a precaution. After two strong innings, Johnson lost a lot of velocity on his pitches, leading to the Phillies' only offensive outburst of the game in the third inning.
Right-hander Hector Velazquez, who had been recalled prior to the game, was pressed into emergency duty when Johnson left.