Athletics' Kazmir leaves start with 'very minor' triceps tightness

Oakland Athletics left-hander Scott Kazmir was lifted from Wednesday's start against the New York Yankees after three innings due to tightness in his left triceps, but considers the injury to be "super minor," according to MLB.com's Jane Lee.

Kazmir speculated after Oakland's 5-4 loss that the injury could have been caused by dehydration.

"That's kind of what it felt like - just a little bit of tightness, maybe like cramping or something like that," Kazmir told reporters. "It definitely felt very minor, and I wanted to go back out there and still pitch."

Though his early departure prompted rampant trade speculation on social media – Kazmir had allowed just one unearned run through three innings – the Athletics quickly clarified that his exit was caused by an injury.

Before leaving Wednesday's start, the 31-year-old recorded four strikeouts while surrendering just two hits and one walk. His fastball velocity in the third inning, however, averaged just 87 miles per hour after sitting comfortably at 91.7 through the first two innings, according to ESPN's Stats & Info.

Kazmir entered Wednesday's outing in the Bronx with a career-best 2.56 ERA (150 ERA+) with a 1.12 WHIP through 16 starts and remains one of the game's most highly coveted pitchers as the trade deadline nears.