FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Matt Moore walked off the field after being hit in the mouth by a line drive that he partially blocked with his glove in the fourth inning of the Tampa Bay Rays’ 9-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
Moore got his glove up just in time to deflect a line shot by Boston’s Xander Bogaerts, recovering to throw out Bogaerts for the final out of the inning. Moore lifted his jersey up to his lip, which was bleeding.
But that also ended Moore’s outing as he was driven from the field, sitting up in a cart.
“Right now there’s no dizziness, I understand, no headaches. That’s a good thing,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “Let’s just wait until tomorrow and see what’s concluded.”
Moore will have X-rays on Monday to make sure there are no fractures in his jaw or broken roots for his teeth.
Moore said his jaw below his right ear is sore from the impact.
“I remember as soon as it hit me just looking for the ball, which I feel very fortunate that I didn’t fall and cover my face. It kind of hit me right on the mouth, I think,” he said.
“It happened really fast. It’s not like I tracked it the whole way in and I saw it hit my mouth. It was like boom-boom. Boom, there’s the ball, get it. Probably very fortunate this happened on a Sunday, the Lord’s day and maybe not another day. I definitely feel fortunate to just have it hit my mouth and not anywhere potentially more dangerous.”
Moore’s injury comes just four days after Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was hit in the face by a liner and had surgery to repair a broken bone above his eye.
Moore earned the win, going four innings without giving up a hit but allowing a run and four walks and four strikeouts and a wild pitch.
Moore and right-handers Brandon Gomes and Juan Carlos Oviedo combined to hold the Red Sox hitless into the seventh inning before Bogaerts’ one-out single.
Red Sox left-hander Felix Doubront had another rough outing, his second in as many starts, going 4 1-3 innings, giving up eight runs and 10 hits, including a home run, and two walks with six strikeouts and a balk.
STARTER’S TIME
Moore retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Will Middlebrooks in the third. It was one of four walks he allowed in the inning, forcing in a run.
Maddon was satisfied with what he saw from Moore.
“Tempo was great. He and (pitching coach Jim Hickey) were working on a couple of things regarding that, and some mechanical things to stay over the rubber,” Maddon said. “He was right on (for the first two innings). And then going to the stretch the next inning kind of lost it working out of the stretch. He’s still playing with a couple of things.”
For Doubront, it was his second straight start getting roughed up, after giving up seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2-3 innings to the Yankees on March 18. He fell to 0-2 while his spring ERA rose to 9.64.
“I thought today he had better life to his stuff overall,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “A number of mislocated pitches particularly when he was trying to go armside. He ended pulling some balls back across the plate.
“But I think considering the way you evaluate his stuff last time against the Yankees compared to today, improved and I think he’s coming through that dead-arm period and looking forward to his next outing where we’ll look to see him put everything back together, location and the quality of stuff.”
Doubront said he will work on his delivery before his next outing.
“Just repeating my delivery, repeating my delivery,” he said. “Keep the ball down and the simple stuff that you have to make the adjustment and try to hit that spot every time. Something simple.”
TRAINING ROOM
Rays: Matt Joyce returned to the Rays lineup after missing three days with a stiff neck.
Red Sox: Left-hander Craig Breslow is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Monday, his first appearance in a game. He has been delayed this spring after last season’s heavy workload.
FOR THE RECORD:
David Ortiz went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. He is batting .057 this season, going, 2 for 35 with 12 strikeouts.
Joyce went 2 for 4 with a run scored, a home run, and three RBIs. He is batting .250 this spring.
David DeJesus went 2 for 5 with a double, a run scored, and two RBIs. He is batting .438 this spring, going 14 for 32.
Desmond Jennings went 2 for 3 with a run scored and two RBIs. He is batting .389, going 14 for 36.
The Red Sox made roster moves before the game, optioning catcher Daniel Butler to Triple-A Pawtucket and reassigning to minor league camp pitchers Rich Hill, Dalier Hinojosa, and Jon Ely. Pitcher Jose Mijares was released. Boston has 35 players in camp.
Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi will open the season in the starting rotation. He beat out left-handers Cesar Ramos, who will start the season in the bullpen, and non-roster invitee Erik Bedard.
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