Athletics 2B La Stella leaves Game 3 vs. Astros after taking pitch to elbow

Tommy La Stella took a pitch to the elbow in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s Game 3 of the A’s series with the Astros.

A 90 mph sinker from Astros reliever Brooks Raley rode in on La Stella and hit him right above the protective pad on his right elbow.

La Stella went down in a heap. After the A’s trainers took a look at him, La Stella left the game with Nate Orf pinch-running for him at first base. Orf then took the field in the bottom of the inning in La Stella’s spot at second base.

After the A’s win, manager Bob Melvin said that La Stella received an X-ray, which came back negative.

“Unbelievable how it missed the pad completely and hit him right on the elbow,” Melvin said. “He got an X-ray, no fracture, no break, so we’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow.”

La Stella, a midseason trade acquisition from the Los Angeles Angels, hit a home run in the top of the first inning Wednesday to give the A’s a 1-0 lead and start the third straight day of home run-heavy play at Dodger Stadium in this neutral-site series.

If La Stella can’t play in Thursday’s Game 4, Melvin’s options include Tony Kemp, the A’s starter at second base before they acquired La Stella, and Orf.

Kemp started 46 games this season, while Orf has appeared in just 21 regular-season games in his career — including six with the A’s this year.