No surgery for Price; Strasburg sticks with stretch
After David Price consulted two renowned orthopedic doctors, the Boston Red Sox said Friday the star pitcher will not need surgery or an injection in his ailing left arm.
Price traveled to Indianapolis on Thursday for a consultation with Drs. James Andrews and Dr. Neal El-Attrache, who were at the NFL Combine. Price is expected to return Saturday to Boston's spring training complex in Fort Myers, Florida.
"Indy is a little chilly right now so I'm gonna head back to fort myers! My 40 time was 4.11," Price tweeted Friday.
Manager John Farrell said the findings represented a best-case scenario for Price, who will rest and receive treatment for the next seven to 10 days. It is uncertain when the lefthander will resume throwing.
"A very positive exam given the concern a couple days ago," Farrell said after Boston's 9-1 win over Atlanta in Kissimmee, Florida.
"The approach we're going to take with him is he'll receive medication and treatment in the next seven to 10 days. We'll re-evaluate him at that time."
Price felt discomfort in his left elbow and forearm on Wednesday, a day after a two-inning, 38-pitch simulated game.
He was scratched from his first scheduled spring training start, on Sunday. Price had an MRI on Wednesday, which showed swelling and fluid near the ulnar collateral ligament.
"As we talked about him experiencing the type of forearm issue in spring training, it may be a little more intensified this year, but still, this is the spring training arm he goes through," Farrell said.
Stephen Strasburg avoided a windup for all 23 of his pitches in a 2-1, 10-inning loss by a Washington Nationals split squad to the St. Louis Cardinals, his first appearance of spring training.
"I'm not trying to reinvent myself, but just trying to simplify things as much as I can and be able to repeat my mechanics," Strasburg said.
"I feel like as I've gotten older, for whatever reason, the windup's just been an issue as far as getting that right feeling of staying on the mound, not drifting too much toward first- or third-base side on my leg kick, and sticking the landing a little bit better."
Strasburg came up with the idea after watching Texas' Yu Darvish and Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco. He approached pitching coach Mike Maddux about it at the start of spring training.
NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Trea Turner had two hits, including an RBI single. Cardinals starter Michael Wacha allowed three hits in three scoreless innings.
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES PIRATES 5, ORIOLES 2
Baltimore's Wade Miley gave up four runs — three earned — and five hits in one inning, leaving after Elias Diaz's liner hit off his left forearm and ribcage.
Pittsburgh starter Gerrit Cole allowed two hits in two scoreless innings, and Tyler Glasnow gave up one run, three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. David Freese had a tworun single in the first and Phil Gosselin went 3 for 3 with an RBI.
Hyun Soo Kim had a pair of hits.
NATIONALS (ss) 8, MARLINS 5
Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton went 0 for 2, dropping to 1 for 11 in spring training.
A.J. Cole gave up three runs — two earned —and five hits in two innings for Washington.
Marcell Ozuna hit a solo home run and Dee Gordon had an RBI double for the Marlins.
Justin Nicolino gave up one run and four hits in two innings.
METS 11, ASTROS 3
In his spring training debut, Noah Syndergaard gave up one hit and two walks over two scoreless innings. Neil Walker went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer, and Lucas Duda added a two-run double in his first Grapefruit League action after back spasms kept him out of the first week of games. Yoenis Cespedes went 2 for 3, raising his batting average to .455.
Houston starter Charlie Morton allowed one hit in two shutout innings. Jake Marisnick was 3 for 3 with a solo homer.
Unable to reach an agreement, the Mets renewed Syndergaard's contract for a major league salary of $605,500.
BLUE JAYS 3, YANKEES 2
Jose Bautista hit his second homer of spring training, a two-run drive, and Francisco Liriano struck out three in two scoreless innings for Toronto. Mat Latos, trying to revive his career, fanned two in two shutout innings.
Luis Severino, competing for a rotation spot in New York, gave up two runs and four hits in 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts. Aaron Judge had two hits.
RAYS 5, TIGERS 2
Rickie Weeks had two hits, including an RBI double, and Corey Dickerson added a run-scoring single for Tampa Bay.
Detroit's Nick Castellanos had a two-run double.
RED SOX 9, BRAVES 1
Boston prospect Andrew Benintendi went 4 for 4 with a solo homer and a two-run single. AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello struck out four over three innings.
Braves starter Julio Teheran tossed three scoreless innings, striking out three. Sam Freeman yielded six runs, five hits and two walks without retiring a batter.
Atlanta outfielder Dustin Peterson had surgery to remove the hook of the hamate bone in his left hand. The 22-yearold Peterson, a non-roster invitee to camp, was injured during an at-bat Wednesday against the Yankees and is expected to miss about eight weeks.
TWINS 4, PHILLIES 3
Danny Santana and journeyman Tommy Field each hit a solo home run, and starter Trevor May gave up a run in 2 1/3 innings for Minnesota.
Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson gave up a run and four hits in three innings with four strikeouts.
Mark Appel, the top pick in the 2013 amateur draft, allowed two hits in two innings, including Field's home run.
ANGELS 6, BREWERS 5
Los Angeles reliever Huston Street faced only two batters before exiting with right triceps irritation. He will have an MRI.
Kole Calhoun hit an RBI double for the Angels, unbeaten in their last 18 exhibition games dating to spring training last year. Matt Shoemaker gave up two runs on two hits and two walks over two innings.
Domingo Santana went 3 for 3 with two homers and three RBIs for Milwaukee, and starter Junior Guerra pitched two scoreless innings.
RANGERS 8, MARINERS 2
Carlos Gomez went 2 for 3 with a homer and slugging prospect Joey Gallo crushed a homer to straightaway center field for Texas.
Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma went two innings and allowed a run on three hits and a walk. Mariners prospect Mitch Haniger hit his second homer and Jarrod Dyson went 2 for 3 with an RBI triple.
REDS 8, CUBS 4
Cincinnati starter Tim Adleman tossed three shutout innings without giving up a hit to the World Series champions. Eugenio Suarez had two hits and two RBIs for the Reds, who scored five times in the third without a base hit.