FITNESS TEST
Even with all their talent, Cubs must show they have fortitude to handle adversity that’s certain to come
A.J. Pollock emerged as one of baseball’s best players a year ago. Now the Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star center fielder is out for the foreseeable future after fracturing his right elbow in a head-first slide at home plate in an exhibition game Friday in Phoenix.
“It almost felt like a nightmare, like it really wasn’t happening,” Pollock said of the moments after the injury. “But today it’s sunk in. Now it’s kind of get prepared for what’s next.”
He said he was shooting to return this season
“I’m going to push for it,” said Pollock, who also broke the elbow in 2010. “Yeah, that’s going to be my goal.”
He said it wasn’t the slide that hurt the elbow, but pushing himself back to his feet with the arm afterward.
Pollock will undergo surgery in the next few days, probably Tuesday.
Reyes’ status still unclear
As the Colorado Rockies await a decision from Major League Baseball on the status of Jose Reyes, manager Walt Weiss made it clear that rookie Trevor Story is their long-term shortstop.
Weiss said he has “no idea” when commissioner Rob Manfred will decide on any punishment for Reyes, 32, who spent all of spring training on paid leave while facing domestic-violence charges.
A prosecutor in Hawaii said earlier in the week that the charges against the fourtime All-Star likely will be dropped because his wife isn’t cooperating. But MLB still could hand out a suspension under terms of the new domestic-violence policy.
In the meantime, Story, 23, won the open job in spring training. He finished camp hitting .340 with six home runs and 13 RBI while playing solid defense.
Rays trade for Corporan
The New York Yankees traded catcher Carlos Corporan to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
Corporan, 32, a career .218 hitter, hit .178 with three home runs and 15 RBI last season with the Rangers.