SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The Colorado Rockies lost one of their biggest offseason acquisitions when Ian Desmond was hit by a pitch Sunday, breaking his left hand.
Desmond was plunked by Cincinnati right-hander Rookie Davis with a 93 mph fastball in the fourth inning of the Rockies’ 9-8 loss in spring training. The team says the preliminary diagnosis on Desmond is a left hand fracture, and he will see a specialist on Monday.
The Rockies signed Desmond to a $70 million, five-year contract over the winter to help balance out their lineup. Desmond broke into the majors as a shortstop and played in the outfield last year with Texas, but was transitioning to first base with Colorado.
The 31-year-old Desmond hit .285 with 22 homers and 86 RBIs this year in his lone season with the Rangers, earning his first All-Star trip since 2012. He also had 21 steals and scored a career-high 107 runs.
AILING KIPNIS
Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis is likely to miss opening day because of a sore right shoulder, an injury that could cause the AL champions to re-shape their infield for the start of this season.
Kipnis has been slowed by inflammation in his shoulder throughout training camp, and the Indians are going to shut him down for two weeks to see how it responds.
Manager Terry Francona said Kipnis will “probably not” be ready when the Indians open the season on April 3 at Texas.
“Hopefully, after these two weeks they completely knock it out, which would be great,” Francona said in Goodyear, Arizona. “That’s why they’re doing it. And then they can let him ramp up and if he’s healthy he can ramp up quickly. But that (opening day) is probably a stretch right now.”
Kipnis received a cortisone shot in his shoulder on Feb. 25. He recently played in his first Cactus League games as the designated hitter.
Francona said Kipnis could continue to DH, but the club wants him to completely rest his shoulder.
“He could certainly DH today,” Francona said. “He could actually go play second, but because there are times when he’s still feeling this thing (shoulder), the medical people and Kipnis have met and the determination was that we’re going to keep him down for a couple of weeks.
“He is getting better. Nothing has gone haywire, nothing has gone wrong. But it’s such a long season that taking this approach, we just want to make sure that they knock it out and not get it at 90 or 85 (present). That’s why we’re doing this.”
Francona has several options if Kipnis is going to be sidelined. He can play Michael Martinez at second or perhaps shift Jose Ramirez over from third and play Giovanny Urshela on the left side.
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES
NATIONALS 5, ASTROS 4
Dallas Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, made his 2017 debut for Houston, pitching three shutout innings.
Bryce Harper and Adam Eaton homered for Washington. Harper has five home runs this spring.
Prospect A.J. Reed belted a grand slam for the Astros, giving him four homers in just 24 at-bats.
TIGERS 4, METS 3
J.D. Martinez hit a solo homer and a double for the Tigers, and Justin Upton and Omar Infante also had multihit games. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer struggled through 2 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs and three hits.
L.J. Mazzilli and Patrick Biondi each hit RBI doubles for New York.
BRAVES 10, YANKEES 2
Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run double in Atlanta’s six-run first against Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia.
Sabathia got two outs and was charged with four earned runs. He allowed six hits and walked one.
Austin Romine and Jorge Mateo homered for New York.
CARDINALS 9, MARLINS 9
Matt Adams hit a two-run homer and an RBI double for St. Louis, and Adam Wainwright threw four innings of one-run ball.
Marcell Ozuna hit a solo shot and added a sacrifice fly for Miami. Dee Gordon and Ichiro Suzuki each had a hit.
PHILLIES 6, RED SOX 5
Aaron Nola started for Philadelphia and worked into the fourth, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out six. Daniel Nava went 4 for 4 with a triple, raising his batting average to .476.
Eduardo Rodriguez allowed a run and three hits in four innings for Boston. Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel pitched the fifth, giving up three runs and two hits. Pablo Sandoval went 2 for 3 with a home run, raising his spring average to .370.
PIRATES 4, TWINS (ss) 3
Chris Stewart had two hits and three RBIs for Pittsburgh, and Trevor Williams allowed two runs in three innings.
Minnesota right-hander Ryan Vogelsong allowed three runs and four hits in 2 1/3 innings. Matt Hague doubled three times for the Twins, and Daniel Palka and Travis Harrison homered.
RAYS 8, BLUE JAYS 2
Erasmo Ramirez, who has battled hamstring tightness, worked two scoreless innings for the Rays. Tommy Hunter followed and worked a perfect third. Evan Longoria belted his first home run and first-base prospect Jake Bauers hit his second homer.
Ryan Borucki got his first start and worked two innings for the Blue Jays, giving up a run and two hits, including a first-inning drive by Bauers.
ORIOLES 8, TWINS (ss) 6
Dylan Bundy struggled in his second start for Baltimore, giving up five runs and five hits. First base prospect Trey Mancini, Craig Gentry and Anthony Santander homered off Minnesota starter Phil Hughes.
Hughes worked five innings, allowing four runs and six hits. Byron Buxton homered for the Twins, and Jorge Polanco connected for a grand slam.
ATHLETICS 9, CUBS 8
Kris Bryant belted a two-run homer and drove in three runs for the Cubs. Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber had two RBIs apiece.
Yonder Alonso connected for a three-run shot for Oakland, and Trevor Plouffe doubled and scored.
Chicago right-hander Jake Arrieta struck out five over three hitless innings, allowing one run.
DODGERS (ss) 5, ROYALS 4
Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw struck out four over four innings, but allowed a first-inning homer to Mike Moustakas. Justin Turner hit a two-run double for the Dodgers, and Joc Pederson added an RBI single.
Nathan Karns struggled for Kansas City, allowing four runs in two innings.
RANGERS 10, WHITE SOX (ss) 8
Nomar Mazara had a double and drove in two runs for Texas. Delino DeShields Jr. finished with two hits and scored three times, and prospect Drew Robinson hit a two-run homer.
Leury Garcia, who is competing for a utility role with the White Sox, had four hits. Jose Abreu hit an RBI single in Chicago’s eight-run sixth inning.
REDS (ss) 4, BREWERS 2
Adam Duvall had two hits and scored a run for Cincinnati. Duvall is coming off a breakout season in 2016, making the All-Star team for the first time.
Bronson Arroyo, in his second stint with the Reds, threw two scoreless innings.
Isan Diaz homered for Milwaukee, and Lewis Brinson added an RBI double.
ANGELS 9, MARINERS 2
Angels right-hander Jesse Chavez gave up two runs and four hits in four innings. Albert Pujols doubled and C.J. Cron homered.
Seattle’s Ariel Miranda gave up four runs in 1 2/3 innings and bullpen prospect Casey Fien allowed three runs in one inning. Tyler Smith homered.
GIANTS 12, DIAMONDBACKS 4
Jarrett Parker went 3 for 3 and scored twice for the Giants. Kyle Blanks and Trevor Brown each had two of San Francisco’s 14 hits.
Giants left-hander Matt Moore gave up two runs in four innings.
Archie Bradley worked four innings for Arizona, allowing an earned run and five hits. A.J. Pollock led off the game with a home run.
REDS (ss) 9, ROCKIES 8
Rookie Davis, acquired in the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Yankees, worked three innings for Cincinnati, allowing two earned runs and two hits. He also drove in a pair of runs with a single in his lone at-bat.
Trevor Story went 3 for 3 for Colorado, and Tyler Anderson yielded three unearned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Veteran reliever Jason Motte took the loss, and was charged with four runs and four hits in one inning.
INDIANS 11, PADRES 3
Indian ace Corey Kluber worked four innings, giving up two runs and five hits. Ronny Rodriguez hit the first of four Cleveland homers.
Jered Weaver got his second start for the Padres, striking out three in 2 2/3 innings, giving up a run and four hits. Christian Friedrich gave up six hits and four runs in his 2 1/3 innings. Jabari Blash homered for the fifth time, raising his average to .364.
WHITE SOX (ss) 15, DODGERS (ss) 5
Bobby Wilson hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers, and Franklin Gutierrez added an RBI double.
One of Melky Cabrera’s two hits was an RBI single for Chicago, and starter Derek Holland struck out four in 3 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs, three hits and three walks.
The White Sox scored 14 runs in the ninth.
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