Texas Rangers left-hander Patrick Corbin earned his first win of the season Wednesday night, but it was a start he nearly wasn't able to make.
Corbin and the Rangers believe the culprit was "venom" from an apparent bite on his foot two days before his start that made it difficult to walk.
"They said something bit me, but I still don't know what it was," Corbin told reporters Thursday. "I've never had anything like that. It was super weird."
Hours before Corbin allowed one run in 5â…“ innings in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said it was "50/50" whether he would pitch because of the condition of his ankle.
Corbin said swelling had developed around a visible bite mark on his foot by Wednesday morning, but that it was "tolerable" after he had his ankle wrapped.
"It was really bad in the morning," Corbin said. "Just a really swollen foot. ... I wasn't sure if I was going to throw that morning. My wife was really concerned. I came in early [Wednesday] to get some treatment going and [went] from there."
Corbin said he still felt soreness in the ankle Thursday but was confident he wouldn't need to miss time.
"I was fortunate to get through yesterday," Corbin said. "I have some time to recover and be good to go."
Corbin, a two-time All-Star entering his 13th season, joined the Rangers on a one-year deal in March. He is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts.
