Spring Training Report: Opinions differ on A-Rod’s hip
Alex Rodriguez will attempt to play this season with an injured right hip, hoping to avoid surgery and a four-month rehabilitation period.
A cyst in the hip was drained Wednesday, and the New York Yankees third baseman will skip playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Still, he has a torn labrum that might need an operation.
“There’s two course of action concerning what he has,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday. “There is treat it conservatively, which would imply rest, exercise and treatment. Or you can treat it aggressively, which is by surgery. At this point at in time, we are going to go the conservative route.”
Cashman said the team hopes the cyst was the cause of stiffness that had bothered the 12-time All-Star and caused him to see a specialist, Dr. Marc Philippon, in Vail, Colo.
“If at some point it’s not working and it’s a problem, then the other one becomes more of a choice,” Cashman said. “Right now, the route we’re going is conservative.”
Orioles 5, Marlins 2: Three batters into his second outing of spring training, Marlins left-hander Andrew Miller already had given up a run to Baltimore and was struggling to find a comfort zone with his new delivery.
Miller got out of the inning without further damage, but he allowed two more runs in the third and took the loss in the Marlins’ 5-2 defeat Thursday.
In his first appearance this spring, Miller yielded six runs in 1 1/3 innings to St. Louis. Against the Orioles, he permitted two earned runs, four hits, hit a batter and issued a walk in 2 1/3 innings – a performance that left him 0-2 with a 14.73 ERA.
Puerto Rico 9, Red Sox 5: Ivan Rodriguez hit three singles, Felipe Lopez drove in two runs and Puerto Rico won its final tuneup for the World Baseball Classic tuneup.
With the game tied 5-5, Puerto Rico capitalized on the wildness of knuckleballer Charlie Zink to score four runs in the seventh. Zink walked three batters, hit one, threw a wild pitch and allowed an RBI single to Rodriguez.
Boston starter Clay Buchholz gave up one run in two innings. Hector Mercado allowed one run in the first three innings for Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico left after the game for San Juan, where it begins play in the WBC on Saturday against Panama.
USA 9, Phillies 6: Chipper Jones helped give the United States a win over the World Series champion Phillies, hitting a three-run homer.
Jones’ homer was the fourth straight hit off of Philadelphia right-hander Kyle Kendrick and turned a 1-1 game into a 4-1 lead in the third inning of the World Baseball Classic warmup.
Ryan Braun, Brian McCann and Adam Dunn also homered for the American squad.
Braun and McCann hit consecutive home runs off Antonio Bastardo to lead off the fourth inning.
Thursday’s Games
Puerto Rico 9, Boston 5
USA 9, Philadelphia 6
Houston 7, Panama 5
Detroit 10, Washington 2
Baltimore 5, Florida 2
Cincinnati 10, Pittsburgh 6, 10 innings
Canada 6, N.Y. Yankees 0
Atlanta 8, Venezuela 4
Minnesota 4, Netherlands 2
St. Louis 4, Dominican Republic 1
N.Y. Mets 3, Italy 2
Texas 4, San Diego 3
Milwaukee 10, Australia 5
L.A. Angels 4, Seattle 2
Oakland (ss) 6, South Africa 1
Oakland (ss) 4, San Francisco 2
L.A. Dodgers 5, Chicago White Sox (ss) 4
Mexico 7, Colorado 3
Chicago White Sox (ss) 4, Chicago Cubs 3
Friday’s Games
Florida vs. Boston at Fort Myers, 1:05 p.m.
N.Y. Mets vs. St. Louis at Jupiter, 1:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, 1:05 p.m.
Cincinnati vs. Minnesota at Fort Myers, 1:05 p.m.
Washington vs. Baltimore at Fort Lauderdale, 1:05 p.m.
Mexico vs. Arizona at Tucson, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Seattle vs. Oakland at Phoenix, 3:05 p.m.
Colorado vs. San Diego at Peoria, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Texas vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Australia vs. Chicago White Sox at Phoenix, 3:05 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Milwaukee vs. Cleveland at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
San Francisco vs. L.A. Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Houston vs. Atlanta at Kissimmee, 7:05 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Toronto at Dunedin, 7:05 p.m.
Detroit vs. N.Y. Yankees at Tampa, 7:15 p.m.