Joba Chamberlain takes broken bat to elbow and leaves game

You could say it's been a frustrating year for Joba Chamberlain.  The middle reliever blew out his ankle in a gruesome trampoline accident during spring training right after coming back from a year-long rehab due to Tommy John surgery.

Another road block in the New York Yankee pitcher's comeback to glory occured during the 12th inning of Thursday night's ALDS Game 4 against the Baltimore Orioles.  The reliever added another freakish injury to his resume when the O's Matt Wieters broken bat single sent the barrel of the bat sailing to the mound — right at Chamberlain's throwing arm.  The pitcher didn't even see the sharp piece of wood shrapnel coming at him and had no chance to duck when he was hit in his right elbow.

Chamberlain's elbow immediately swelled up but he insisted on staying in the game. Manager Joe Girardi and the trainers didn't want to chance keeping their pitcher in such a crucial game — with the score tied at 1-1 — and he was removed for David Phelps.

Later, X-rays proved negative and Chamberlain's injury was listed as a contusion.

The Orioles went on to score a run in the 13th inning for a 2-1 victory and send the series into a Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.