Trout has torn thumb ligament

Angels say AL MVP is expected to miss extended time.

American League MVP Mike Trout i s heading to the disabled list for the first time in his career with a torn ligament in his left thumb, t h e L o s A n g e l e s A n g e l s announced Monday night.

The team said Trout i s expected to miss an extended period of time. There was no mention if Trout needed surgery.

Trout’s left hand hit the bag on a head-first slide into second on a stolen base in the fifth inning in Sunday’s loss at Miami.

The center fielder is hitting .337 with 16 homers, 36 RBIs and 10 steals.

Nationals: Bryce Harper charged the mound, fired his helmet and traded punches t o t h e h e a d wi t h Gi a n t s reliever Hunter Strickland after getting hit in the right hip by a 98 mph fastball in the eighth inning Monday. The alterc ation st ar ted a bench-clearing brawl but only Harper and Strickland were ejected.

Red S ox : L e f t - ha nder David Price, who missed the first part of the year with a strained left elbow, made his season debut Monday in a 5-4 loss to the White Sox. Price walked two, hit two, allowed two hits and struck out four in five innings.

■ Second baseman Dustin Pedroia suffered a sprained wrist Monday, and manager John Farrell said the 2008 AL MVP was headed back to Boston for tests.

Royals: Danny Duffy was placed on the disabled list with an oblique strain. The team says the left-hander is expected to be out six to eight weeks.

Pirates: Right fielder Gregory Polanco got his right ankle caught awkwardly in the railing separating the stands from the playing field while chasing down a foul ball in the sixth inning Monday. He left the game, and there was no update on his condition.

Rangers: Third baseman Adrian Beltre made his season debut Monday night in the series opener against Tampa Bay. Beltre was activated from the disabled list after missing the start of the season with a right calf strain. Beltre, 38, is 52 hits shy of 3,000 for his career.

Cardinals: Outfielder Randal Grichuk (.222, four HRs, 19 RBIs) was optioned to SingleA Palm Beach. Grichuk hit 24 homers for St. Louis last year but the Cardinals want him to work on his plate approach at a lower level, rather than at Triple-A.