D.C. United captain Steven Birnbaum was ruled out of Saturday’s match at FC Cincinnati with a hip injury, the team said.
Birnbaum, a center back who has started every game except the opener, exited early in the second half last weekend against Charlotte FC after being involved in multiple hard challenges before intermission.
It’s unclear whether he will travel to face the New York Red Bulls on Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 — he and most other starters were rested against the third-division Richmond Kickers in the previous round of the tournament — or the regular season game May 13 against Nashville SC at Audi Field.