<img src= starting pitcher Erik Bedard left his start Wednesday night against the Nationals with what the Pirates are terming "back spasms." (via Adam Kilgore) More details will surely surface in the coming hours. He had thrown three pitches in the second inning to Adam LaRoche.

An interesting twist is that the Nationals loaded their lineup with right-handed bats against the lefty Bedard, but the Pirates will now counter with right-handers, for the most part, from the bullpen.

Bedard, 33, is 2-4 with a 2.65 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 34 innings this season. He signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Pirates in the offseason.

Bedard has a troubling injury history. He's only made more than 30 starts one time in his career. He made 15 starts in both 2008 and 2009 before missing all of the 2010 season. Last season, he was able to make 24 starts in his return from a torn labrum. In stints with both the Mariners and Red Sox, Bedard went 5-9 with a 3.62 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 125 strikeouts in 129 1/3 innings.

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