Angels’ Ervin Santana hit by line drive, leaves game

Angels starting pitcher Ervin Santana was forced from Wednesday’s Cactus League game against the Chicago White Sox after being struck on the front of his right shoulder by an Alexei Ramirezline drive.

Santana fielded the ball that gave him a right shoulder contusion and threw to first baseman Albert Pujols for the out, but clearly was in discomfort after being hit by the liner.

Santana walked back to the mound area and bent over, placing his hands on his knees, then stretched as an Angels trainer and Manager Mike Scioscia came to attend to him.

Seconds later, Scioscia was escorting Santana to the dugout and reliever Eddie McKiernan was summoned.

“It was too fast [to catch],” Santana said. “It was a little warm [outside] so I couldn’t feel [if it hurt]. Now I feel it. They said to move my fingers,” which Santana did, “and said, ‘You’re out.’ ”

Santana said the training staff told him they would know more about his condition Thursday. He said there were no immediate plans for medical treatment beyond sitting in the visiting manager’s room at Camelback Ranch with a large bag of ice taped over his shoulder.

“Everything will be OK,” he said.

Santana struck out two of the first six batters he faced, stranding Brent Lillibridge at second after a leadoff double in the first. McKiernan, however, let inherited baserunner Adam Dunn score on a wild pitch and the White Sox took a 2-0 lead on Tyler Flowers’ two-out home run.

The Angels quickly rallied in the third with four runs, capped by Albert Pujols’ first home run as an Angel, a mammoth three-run drive over the left-field bullpen area.

Santana is being counted on as an anchor of the Angels’ strong starting rotation this year after winning 28 games over the last two seasons.

“They say tomorrow,” Santana said about the severity of the pain in the locker room afterward.

RELATED:Is Angels’ Ariel Pena the new K-Rod?

Kendrys Morales gets the runaround, in a good way

Angels’ Dan Haren has whiff of success against Arizona