Boston Red Sox left-hander David Price was scratched from his first spring training start and will consult with specialists after experiencing soreness in his left elbow and forearm.
Price, who had been scheduled to make his first spring training start this weekend, had an MRI on Wednesday and is expected to seek second opinions from Drs. James Andrews and Neil ElAttrache.
Manager John Farrell said Price threw 38 pitches in a two-inning simulated game Tuesday and felt no discomfort. He first noticed the soreness Wednesday.
“He’s gone through some soreness in the forearm/elbow area in previous spring trainings but this one has got a little bit more intensity to it,” Farrell said.
The loss of Price for a significant amount of time could be a setback for the Red Sox. The team was counting on Price, along with reigning Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and lefty Chris Sale, acquired in a December trade with the White Sox for four top prospects, to lead the team this season.
Price went 17-9 with a 3.99 ERA in a major league-leading 35 starts last season, his first after signing a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Red Sox.
ROYALS HOST SPECIAL FANTASY CAMP
The Kansas City Royals hosted a fantasy camp with several dozen kids with special needs at a park near their spring training stadium in Surprise, Arizona.
Outfielders Billy Burns and Peter O’Brien, catcher Drew Butera and infielder Christian Colon each worked stations during the camp, helping the kids hit, throw, field and steal bases. They also signed autographs and posed for pictures after the drills were done.
“We had a great time out here,” O’Brien said. “Swung a little bit, threw it a little bit, ran the bases. Just a lot of fun with some new friends and I was really happy to be here.”
The Texas Rangers, who share the Royals’ spring training home, hosted a similar camp last spring.
AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES
METS 11, MARLINS 6
Yoenis Cespedes hit first home run of spring training, clearing the batter’s eye dozens of feet high behind the 410-foot fence in center field. Neil Walker added a two-run homer and starter Robert Gsellman struck out two in two scoreless innings. Phillip Evans hit a grand slam in a five-run fourth.
Marlins starter Adam Conley pitched two scoreless innings and Dan Straily allowed four runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings.
CARDINALS 9, BRAVES 4
Dansby Swanson, the top pick in the 2015 amateur draft, led off the game with a homer and Adam Walker - who has hit 58 homers the past two seasons in the upper minors - added a two-run drive, both off Adam Wainwright.
Wainwright allowed three runs and three hits over two innings.
Braves starter Bartolo Colon gave up two runs in three innings. John Danks, released by the White Sox with a 7.25 ERA after four April starts last year, gave up three earned runs and four hits in two innings.
Cardinals prospect Paul DeJong had a three-run homer and a triple, and Matt Adams went 2 for 2 with a solo homer.
RED SOX 19, RAYS 2
Jackie Bradley Jr. hit two home runs and drove in five runs, and Hanley Ramirez had a three-run homer and five RBIs. Starter Eduardo Rodriguez pitched two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Rays starter Jose De Leon allowed four runs, two hits and two walks, getting only two outs.
PIRATES 11, TIGERS 1
Pittsburgh’s Jordy Mercer hit a grand slam in a seven-run third inning, and Francisco Cervelli and Jose Osuna both homered off Justin Verlander, who gave up three runs, three hits and two walks over two innings.
Justin Upton hit a solo shot for the Tigers.
TWINS 6, ORIOLES (ss) 6, 10 innings
Jorge Polanco had a solo home run and a three-run double and starter Phil Hughes allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks over two innings.
Baltimore All-Star third baseman Manny Machado, playing shortstop while J.J. Hardy nurses a sore back, went 2 for 3 with an RBI double and starter Kevin Gausman gave up a run in two innings. Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run homer in the ninth, prompting the extra inning.
PHILLIES 8, BLUE JAYS 8
Jose Bautista went 2 for 2 with a three-run home run and starter J.A. Happ gave up one hit in two shutout innings with two strikeouts.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola pitched two scoreless innings, Brock Stassi went 3 for 5 with an RBI and Freddie Galvis hit a two-run double.
NATIONALS 13, ASTROS 1
Jayson Werth went 2 for 2 and hit a three-run homer, and Anthony Rendon added a solo shot off Houston starter - and former Nats farmhand - Brad Peacock. Bryce Harper hit a two-run shot in the sixth.
Peacock allowed five runs, five hits and three in three innings. George Springer went 3 for 3 and Tyler White hit a solo homer in the ninth.
REDS 6, CUBS (ss) 2
Jose Peraza had a two-run triple and Reds starter Amir Garrett pitched three shutout, one-hit innings.
Chicago got three of its four hits and both runs off Luis Castillo in the seventh.
Cubs starter Rob Zastryzny gave up two earned runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings and was lifted after taking a liner off his shin.
DODGERS 4, INDIANS 2
Clayton Kershaw went two perfect innings and Yasmani Grandal and Scott Van Slyke had run-scoring singles for Los Angeles.
Cleveland starter Danny Salazar gave up one earned run on a hit and three walks over two innings and said afterward, “We have the best rotation right now. That’s the way I feel.”
Shawn Morimando, who hopes to get a job in the bullpen, gave up five hits and three runs in 1 2/3 innings.
WHITE SOX 6, GIANTS (ss) 6
Tim Anderson went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer and minor leaguer Danny Hayes had a three-run double for Chicago. White Sox starter Derek Holland pitched two scoreless, surrendering two hits and two walks.
Giants starter Matt Moore was roughed up for four earned runs on five hits and two walks over 2 2/3 innings. Nick Hundley had two hits. The Giants had six of the 10 errors in the game.
ROYALS 3, ROCKIES 1
Eric Hosmer hit a two-run home run and Royals starter Chris Young gave up two hits and a walk over two shutout innings.
After a shaky outing, Colorado starter Tyler Anderson struck out three in two perfect innings of work and Carlos Gonzalez went 2 for 3.
ATHLETICS 5, RANGERS 1
Marcus Semien had a run-scoring double and Ryon Healy drove in two on a pair of sacrifice flies. Oakland starter Jesse Hahn struck out three in three shutout innings.
Delino DeShields and Hanser Alberto, who played shortstop, went 2 for 3 for Texas. Mike Hauschild allowed four hits and two earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.
MARINERS 6, BREWERS 2
Carlos Ruiz went 2 for 2 with an RBI, Ben Gamel drove in a run with a double and Guillermo Heredia drove in two with a pinch hit double. Heredita is 7 of 12 with six doubles and a triple this spring. Mariners lefty starter Ariel Miranda allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk over three innings.
Milwaukee starter Matt Garza tossed a scoreless inning but Jorge Lopez got roughed up for four runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings.
PADRES 9, DIAMONDBACKS (ss) 6
Jabari Blash hit his third homer in three days, a three-run blast in the eighth to highlight the Padres’ rally.
Padres starter Christian Friedrich gave up five runs - four earned - on three hits and a walk over two innings. Travis Jankowski picked up a pair of hits and Hunter Renfroe drove in a run with a single.
Arizona catcher Oscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer and Nick Ahmed drove in a pair with a double. Starter Archie Bradley pitched three scoreless, striking out four.
ANGELS 5, GIANTS (ss) 4
Luis Valbuena had two doubles with two RBIs and C.J. Cron added a pair of hits for Los Angeles, which is unbeaten in 17 exhibition games (15-0-2) dating to last year. Starter Ricky Nolasco gave up a run on two hits, striking out three, over two innings.
Chris Marrero hit his second homer of the spring, a solo shot, newcomer Aaron Hill had two hits and Gorkys Hernandez doubled in a run. Starting prospect Tyler Beede pitched two shutout innings.
YANKEES 8, ORIOLES (ss) 1
Greg Bird hit his third home run of the spring and Matt Holliday went opposite field for his first since signing with New York. Aroldis Chapman struck out two in a perfect inning and hit 100 mph on the radar gun with his second pitch of spring training.
Tyler Wilson worked three innings for Baltimore, allowing only Holliday’s home run.
DIAMONDBACKS (ss) 3, CUBS (ss) 1
Shelby Miller threw three scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his second spring start for Arizona. The right-hander is trying to rebound from a 3-12 season.
Jason Pridie launched a three-run homer.
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