Bucs prospect Glasnow suffers ankle injury

Pirates top prospect Tyler Glasnow left his start with Double-A Altoona on Wednesday evening with right ankle discomfort and is being treated by the team.

The 21-year-old right-hander took the mound to warm up for the fourth inning against Richmond but signaled for the trainer after throwing one pitch. He appeared to reach down to rub his right ankle moments before walking off the mound with athletic trainer Dru Scott.

Altoona announced that Glasnow "was removed from the game tonight with right ankle discomfort after sliding into second base while running the bases. He is being treated and we will provide more information as it becomes available."

The injury came hours after Nick Kingham, the Pirates' sixth-ranked prospect, was forced to leave his start with Triple-A Indianapolis with what Pirates general manager Neal Huntington termed "discomfort in his right elbow."

Glasnow, making his fifth start of the season, singled with one out in the bottom of the third and advanced to second when Keon Broxton singled to the left side. He scored the Curve's first run when Max Moroff walked to load the bases and No. 3 prospect Josh Bell followed with an RBI grounder to short.

Ranked 13th overall by MLB.com, Glasnow (2-1) allowed three runs -- two earned -- on three hits without a walk in three innings. He fanned two, throwing 37 of 50 pitches for strikes. Altoona went on to lose, 4-1, with Glasnow taking the loss.

A 2011 fifth-round Draft pick, Glasnow was named 2014 Florida State League Pitcher of the Year after going 12-5 with a 1.74 ERA over 124 1/3 innings in 23 starts for Class A Advanced Bradenton. He's 2-1 with a 1.40 ERA in five Eastern League starts this season.