Giants’ Bumgarner has pinkie surgery
San Francisco Giants lefthander Madison Bumgarner had three pins inserted into the broken pinkie on his pitching hand. Bumgarner is expected to sit out four to six weeks. The 28-year-old ace was injured Friday when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield in a springtraining game.
Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale was knocked off the mound by a line drive during his final springtraining tuneup in Florida. Sale quickly got up, flexed his leg a few times and walked off the field. The American League East champions called it a bruised left hip, and the left-hander said the injury wasn’t serious and wouldn’t jeopardize his opening-day start Thursday at Tampa Bay . ... The Red Sox traded infielder Deven Marrero to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a player to be named or cash . ... Catcher Christian Vazquez and the Red Sox reached agreement on a contract that takes him through the 2021 season.
Texas Rangers minor league coach and former big league slugger Howard Johnson was struck in the face by a line drive and taken from the dugout on a stretcher. Johnson was transported to a hospital. There was no report on his condition. Johnson was hit during a spring-training game in Arizona between Texas and Cleveland . ... The Rangers cut pitcher Bartolo Colon, but the 44-year-old righthander could rejoin them soon. The Rangers released Colon from his minor league contract. The team faced a Saturday deadline to add Colon to their 25-man roster, cut him or pay him $100,000 to stick around for now.
New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler will begin the season in the minors after squandering an opportunity to secure a rotation spot during spring training . ... Pitcher Dan Straily will begin the season on the disabled list, the latest setback for the depleted Miami Marlins . ... St. Louis closer Luke Gregerson will begin the season on the disabled list because of a hamstring strain . ... Kennys Vargas has made a quick U-turn and is headed back to the Minnesota Twins. The Twins reclaimed Vargas off waivers from Cincinnati, two days after the Reds plucked him from Minnesota. ... New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird has inflammation in his right foot and will be evaluated by a specialist in New York on Monday. Bird was scratched from the starting lineup in a split-squad road game against Atlanta. Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury will start the regular season on the disabled list because of an oblique injury.