Red Sox’s Price has carpal tunnel

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Boston Red Sox lefthander David Price was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome after twice experiencing numbness in his pitching hand this season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed the diagnosis prior to a game at Yankee Stadium, which Price was supposed to start.

“For me this is quoteunquote good news compared to anything else,” Cora said.

Price was sent back to Boston on May 8 for tests after experiencing numbness in his pitching hand during a bullpen session Sunday. He was forced from a game April 11 with the same symptoms after allowing four runs in the first inning — the shortest start of his career.

Cora described it as a “mild case of carpal tunnel” and said Price will rejoin the team May 10. He’ll throw at Yankee Stadium, and then the team will re-evaluate his status.

METS BAT OUT OF ORDER » First-year manager Mickey Callaway knew something was badly wrong when Wilmer Flores went to the plate for the first time. At that point, it was too late to change the Mets’ mistake.

New York wasted a first-inning rally by batting out of turn, and Adam Duvall led off the 10th inning with a homer that sent the Reds to a 2-1 victory, concluding a series that will be remembered for an unexpected trade and an embarrassing mistake.

This one simply wasn’t in the lineup cards for New York.

“It is frustrating,” said Callaway, who blamed himself for an administrative mistake. “It probably cost us a game. We had a chance to score in the first and we didn’t.”

NBA

CASEY HONORED » Toronto’s Dwane Casey is the NBA’s coach of the year, as presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

The award named for longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg is voted on by the league’s head coaches. The NBA also hands out a separate coach of the year award, which will be revealed June 25.

NFL

AGENT DEFENDS INGRAM » Representatives for Mark Ingram say the Saints running back did not test positive for a performance-enhancing drug and is weighing options for challenging his four-game suspension.

Paul Bobbitt and David Jones of VIP Sports Management say Ingram was using a substance that is permitted by the NFL with a “proper use exemption.”

Ingram’s agents did not specify which substance Ingram used.

Tennis

DJOKOVIC ELIMINATED AT MADRID OPEN » Novak Djokovic added another early elimination to his disappointing season, losing to Kyle Edmund 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 on Wednesday in the second round of the Madrid Open.

It’s the sixth straight tournament in which Djokovic has failed to reach the quarterfinals. The 12-time Grand Slam champion has struggled this year after saying he returned to action too quickly following a lingering right elbow injury.

Djokovic lost in the third round in Monte Carlo and in the second round in both Miami and Indian Wells. The 12thranked Serb also failed to advance past the last 16 at the Australian Open.

Also, top-ranked Simona Halep beat Kristyna Pliskova 6-1, 6-4 to stay on track for a third straight title in Madrid, while Caroline Wozniacki’s bid to return to the top of the rankings ended with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to 20thranked Kiki Bertens.

SERENA WILLIAMS WITHDRAWS FROM ITALIAN OPEN » Serena Williams has withdrawn from next week’s Italian Open, saying she needs more time to be “100 percent ready to compete.” The tournament made the announcement via Twitter. Williams returned to the tour briefly this year after a 14-month absence to give birth to her daughter.