The one player the Yankees could not afford to lose left Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays in the fourth inning with left hamstring tightness, the team announced.

Staff ace Gerrit Cole already had allowed three runs (two earned) when he signaled for the trainer following a sacrifice fly by Toronto’s Reese McGuire McGuire for the second out of the fourth. After a brief discussion with manager Aaron Boone, Cole walked off the mound with the Yankees trailing 3-1.

The 31-year-old Cole entered the game with a 14-6 record and a 2.73 ERA with 215 strikeouts in 25 starts this season. He also surrendered a solo home run to Alejandro Kirk in the second inning.

He was replaced by reliever Albert Abreu, who got the Yankees out of the inning without further damage.