Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Yankees’ outfield feeling the pain
Injured outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are likely to miss the Yankees’ opener against the Orioles in Baltimore on March 26.
Judge is having more tests to determine the cause of soreness in the right pectoral area near his shoulder. Judge has not hit on the field since spring training started, and the right fielder felt discomfort Friday when he took batting practice for the second straight day in an indoor cage.
“He feels it more now in the pec,” general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday. “It’s moved down toward the pec. We’re just trying to figure it out and determine what’s bothering him. In the meantime, I can just tell you he is feeling better in the last 48 hours.”
Stanton strained his right calf on Feb. 26 during defensive drills. Cashman thinks Stanton will be back in April.
“For the time frame, obviously, we’ve got to get the healing component done for a Grade 1 strain and then rehab it,” Cashman said. “With arguably, what, 3 1⁄2 weeks to go before opening day I think we’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Since winning the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year award, Judge has been limited to 112 games in 2018 because of a broken right wrist and to 102 games last year due to a strained left oblique.
Stanton was acquired by the Yankees from the Marlins before the 2018 season. The left fielder played in just 18 regular-season games last year because of a strained left biceps and a sprained right knee.
The Yankees already was without center fielder Aaron Hicks. He had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Oct. 31 and is not expected back until summer.
In their absence, the Yankees’ outfield may include Brett Gardner in center, flanked by Michael Tauchman and Clint Frazier. Miguel Andujar, 2018 AL Rookie of the Year runner up as a third baseman, has been getting time in left field during spring training.
Red flag for Sale:
Red Sox starter Chris Sale has soreness in his throwing elbow and underwent an MRI, the team announced two days after the 30-year-old lefthander faced batters for the first time this spring.
Manager Ron Roenicke said Sale felt the soreness in his elbow Monday morning, the day after his 18-pitch batting practice session. Team doctors reviewed the MRI results and sent them to Dr. James Andrews.
“Obviously we’re concerned about it,” Roenicke said.
Sale’s batting practice session Sunday was the first time he faced hitters since he gave up five runs over 6 2⁄3 innings in a win against the Indians on Aug. 13. He went on the injured list with elbow inflammation, finishing 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts.
Sale avoided surgery on his elbow, receiving platelet-rich plasma injections in the fall instead.
Miller dealing with struggles:
Andrew Miller has lost control, and neither he nor the Cardinals know why.
The two-time All-Star and 2016 ALCS MVP with the Indians will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time as he tries to regain the feel for his pitches.
“The sensation I have throwing a baseball now just isn’t consistent with what it is when I know I’m good,” Miller said.
Miller struggles to describe the feeling he experiences when releasing the ball. It’s not pain. There’s no burning or tingling. It simply doesn’t feel right.
Scheduled to pitch in relief on Monday, Miller cut short his warm-up after several tosses badly missed his target.
“I wasn’t worried about hurting myself,” Miller said. “The stuff that’s been bothering me and I’ve been trying to work through, it just wasn’t getting better.”
Extra innings:
Astros ace Justin Verlander, who has overcome groin tightness, made his spring debut, surrendering three runs, two earned, during 2 2⁄3 innings of a 6-3 loss against the Cardinals . ... RHP Carlos Carrasco made his first start for the Indians since May — before he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. Carrasco allowed three hits and two runs in two innings against the Angels.