Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
World Baseball Classic growing slowly
The World Baseball Classic returns Monday for its fourth edition, growing slowly yet still far from rising to the prominence of soccer’s World Cup or the Olympics.
Red Sox left-hander David Price was scratched from his first spring training start and will consult with specialists after experiencing soreness in his left forearm and elbow.
Price, who is scheduled to make his first spring start this weekend, underwent an MRI on Wednesday but results of the test are not yet available. Still, Price is expected to seek second opinions from Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Neil ElAttrache, who are at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. He would likely travel to Indianapolis for consultations.
Manager John Farrell said Price threw 38 pitches in a two-inning simulated game Tuesday and felt no discomfort. He first noticed the soreness Wednesday morning.
“He’s gone through some soreness in the forearm/elbow area in previous spring trainings but this one has got a little bit more intensity to it,” Farrell said.
Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the club was setting up appointments for Price.
“You’re concerned any time any of your pitchers have a sore elbow,” Dombrowski said. “To what extent, at this point, we’ll have to wait until the doctors see him. But you never like to see a guy step down no matter what, as far as missing any time is concerned. But we’ll wait and we’ll see, because we just don’t have enough information at this point.”
Price went 17-9 with a 3.99 ERA in a major league-leading 35 starts last season, his first in Boston. The Red Sox signed Price in December 2015 to a seven-year, $210 million contract.
Mets’ Wright intent on rehab, not retirement
PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. » A smiling
David Wright returned to Port St. Lucie, went to his favorite coffee shop and exchanged welcoming hugs with Dave Winfield and executive director of MLB’s Players Association Tony Clark, both of whom happened to be there.
The message and mood changed, however, when the Mets third baseman went down the street to New York’s spring training complex at First Data Field.
“My No. 1 priority right now is the shoulder, but certainly I want to stay in baseball shape and work out with my teammates and stuff and do whatever I can,” Wright said. “It’s frustrating, but in the grand scheme of things, it could’ve been better, could’ve been worse. I just knew something wasn’t right.”
When Wright, 34, threw for the first time this spring, it was privately and not in front of the media. He and manager Terry Collins said he would continue to increase his distance, and there was even some mention of playing some at first base when his throwing improved.
However, a sore right shoulder had Wright headed back to New York, where he was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement that his physician said was serious. He sought a second opinion from an independent physician, but the end result is he has been shut down indefinitely from throwing.
“You can’t put a time period on how long it’s going to take to be able to throw, but when it’s ready then I will,” Wright said.
Abreu: I was close to trainer accused of smuggling
MIAMI » Chicago White Sox star Jose Abreu testified that he had an extremely close relationship with a Florida baseball trainer on trial along with a sports agent for allegedly smuggling Cuban ballplayers off the island.
Abreu acknowledged giving trainer Julio Estrada $25,000 a month last summer after Estrada’s assets were frozen by the government following his indictment in the smuggling case — $10,000 more than Estrada had requested. He did so, Abreu testified, “because of the high esteem I have for him.”
Abreu also paid Estrada’s wife an undisclosed amount to help decorate the player’s South Florida home, even though she has no professional experience doing that work.