The flash and dash of Fernando Tatis Jr. came to a sudden halt Tuesday when the star San Diego Padres shortstop slowly walked off the field after making an awkward throw in an exhibition game.
The Padres said Tatis had discomfort in his non-throwing left shoulder and would be re-evaluated on Wednesday.
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Tatis went into the hole to backhand a grounder in the third inning hit by Cincinnati's Jonathan India in Peoria, Arizona. Tatis' throwing motion seemed off, even though he got the out.
The 22-year-old Tatis began to leave the diamond and was met by manager Jayce Tingler and a trainer. After a few minutes in the dugout, Tatis headed toward the clubhouse accompanied by a trainer.
Tatis signed the longest contract in baseball history on Feb. 22, a $340 million, 14-year deal.
It hasn't been a smooth spring for Tatis. He missed time with flu-like symptoms and then jarred himself after diving headfirst into home on a flyball to shallow left field in a game on March 13.
Tatis had singled against the Reds, raising his spring average to .391.
AILING FREELAND
Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland was taken out in the third inning against Oakland after straining his pitching shoulder.
After throwing a pitch, he walked to the side of the mound, bent down in discomfort, dropped his glove and grabbed just underneath his shoulder. The Rockies are waiting for further tests to determine the severity of the strain.
“When you see that, it’s a sickening feeling for all of us. We’re keeping our fingers crossed and hopefully we get some good news out of this,” Rockies manager Bud Black said after a 4-1 exhibition loss to the Athletics. “But I’m concerned.”
Freeland surrendered two hits and two runs over two innings. He struck out three and walked one before being taken out.
Black said there were no issues with soreness entering Tuesday’s game.
“He’s been great all spring as far as hitting all of his markers to get ready for the season,” Black said. “No indication at all that this possibility could happen.”
Freeland made a team-high 13 starts in a virus-shortened 2020 season. He was 2-3 with a 4.33 ERA. His nine quality starts were tied for the second-most in the National League.
BREWERS 9, DODGERS 6
Los Angeles starter Walker Buehler was hit hard, allowing three home runs in the first inning. Buehler gave up 10 hits, nine runs and four homers overall in 4 2/3 innings. Justin Turner homered for the Dodgers.
Keston Hiura homered twice off Buehler. Hiura, Christian Yelich and Omar Narváez all connected in the first inning. Corbin Burnes turned in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six while allowing two runs on three hits.
METS 5, MARLINS 3
Francisco Lindor homered for the third straight game, and for the fourth time in five games for New York. J.D. Davis also homered. Kevin Pillar tripled, singled and also was thrown out trying to steal home. Marcus Stroman made his fifth start, allowing three runs on nine hits in five-plus innings.
Daniel Castano made his second start in his fourth appearance for Miami, giving up three runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings, striking out six. Miguel Rojas hit his first home run and stole his first base. Starling Marte doubled and singled.
CARDINALS 5, NATIONALS 5 (9 INNINGS)
Washington threw a bit of a wrinkle into its infield plans by using regular second baseman Starlin Castro as the starter at third, instead of Carter Kieboom, who is batting .167 with 12 strikeouts in 36 at-bats this spring.
“He did well. Really well. He looked very comfortable over there,” manager Dave Martinez said about Castro, whose appearance was his first at the hot corner in an exhibition game this year and came a little more than a week before opening day on April 1.
Martinez cautioned that “we haven’t made any decisions yet of what we’re going to do,” but said he needed to get Castro some time at third in case the team does want to use him there in the regular season.
Luis García started in Castro’s usual spot at second base against St. Louis.
Jon Lester allowed one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings in his second start of the spring for Washington. Joe Ross, expected to be the fifth starter for the Nationals, went 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and four hits.
Kyle Schwarber hit his third homer and an RBI double. Josh Bell and Luis García each had two hits for the Nationals.
Adam Wainwright gave up one run and two hits in six innings, striking out seven in his fifth straight for St. Louis. Nolan Arenado went 0 for 3 with a walk, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Yadier Molina. Austin Dean hit his first homer as the Cardinals scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
RED SOX 7, BRAVES 6
Xander Bogaerts hit his first home run for Boston, a three-run drive in a five-run third inning. Enrique Hernández had three hits and J.D. Martinez had a two-run double. Garrett Richards made his fourth start, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his fourth home run for Atlanta and Ehire Adrianza also connected. Jake Lamb had an RBI double.
YANKEES 5, TIGERS 5 (9)
Corey Kluber made his third start for New York, yielding an unearned run on three hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings. Mike Tauchman led off the game with his third home run. Tyler Wade had two hits and walked, scoring a run. Greg Allen and Chris Gittens led off the eighth with back-to-back homers.
Tarik Skubal made his second start in his fourth appearance for Detroit, allowing two runs on five hits and five walks in four innings. Eric Haase hit his second home run, a three-run drive in the eighth that tied the score. Willi Castro had an RBI single in the first and stole a base.
GIANTS 7, INDIANS 0
San Francisco starter Logan Webb continued his stellar spring, striking out seven and five innings of one-hit ball. Through 11 scoreless innings, he has given up three hits, walked one and struck out 17.
The Giants scored all of their runs on homers. Mike Yastrzemski doubled and Donovan Solano homered in the first inning. Austin Slater homered in the second. Tommy La Stella added a solo homer in the fifth, Brandon Crawford hit a two-run shot in the sixth and Will Wilson homered in the ninth.
Cleveland starter Zach Plesac gave up four home runs over 5 2/3 innings. Plesac allowed six runs on seven extra-base hits. Bryan Shaw entered the game with two on and struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth.
RANGERS 6, ANGELS 4
Texas slugger Khris Davis attempted to beat out a bunt and pulled up with an injury to his left quadriceps muscle. Adolis Garcia took over at DH and homered in the fifth.
Angels starter Andrew Heaney allowed five runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings, striking out six. Shohei Ohtani stole his second base of the spring. Albert Pujols was hit on the left wrist in Monday’s game and is considered day-to-day.
ATHLETICS 4, ROCKIES 1
Oakland starter Daulton Jefferies struck out seven over four innings, giving up just two hits. Through 13 innings, he's fanned 20 and has a 1.38 ERA. Mitch Moreland hit a two-run double and Seth Brown homered.
WHITE SOX 3, CUBS 1
Dallas Keuchel threw four innings of one-hit ball for the White Sox, striking out three. Adam Eaton and Luis Robert each had an RBI single and Danny Mendick homered in the ninth.
Jake Arrieta allowed a run over 5 2/3 innings in his fourth start, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth. He gave up five hits, hit two batters and struck out three.
PADRES 5, REDS 4
MacKenzie Gore worked 3 2/3 innings in his third start for San Diego, allowing two runs on three hits. The left-handed prospect gave up a home run in the third and now has thrown 9 2/3 innings this spring, striking out 10 and posting a 3.72 ERA.
Jeff Hoffman worked five innings in his third start for Cincinnati, giving up three runs and four hits. Nick Castellanos homered and Aristides Aquino doubled to drive in a run in the ninth but was throw out at third to end the game.
PIRATES 1, TWINS 0
Chase De Jong made his second start in his fourth appearance for Pittsburgh, yielding one hit in 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Adam Frazier homered and singled — he's 17 for 29 (.586) this spring.
Andrew Romine tripled for one of Minnesota's three hits.
ORIOLES 4, RAYS 3
Trey Mancini had two hits for Baltimore, including his second home run. He is batting .342 this spring after missing all of last season because of colon cancer. Recently signed Maikel Franco hit his first home run. Catcher Adley Rutschman, MLB's No. 2 overall prospect, doubled in three trips.
Joey Wendle had two hits, including a double, for Tampa Bay.
BLUE JAYS 9, PHILLIES 3
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run homer in the first off Philadelphia right-hander Zack Wheeler, tagged for seven runs — five earned — and six hits over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.
J.T. Realmuto and Roman Quinn each connected for a solo homer off Toronto starter Tommy Milone, who went 4 1/3 innings. New reliever Archie Bradley tossed two hitless innings for the Phillies.
Blue Jays reliever Kirby Yates is expected to have season-ending surgery on his right elbow. Yates was expected to be Toronto’s closer after signing a $5.5 million, one-year deal in the offseason.
The team also reported two other injuries: Outfielder George Springer will miss the next four or five days because of a strained oblique muscle and left-hander Robbie Ray will skip at least one spring training start after slipping on a staircase and bruising his elbow.
MARINERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 0
Chris Flexen bounced back from a rough outing and threw five sharp innings of three-hit ball for Seattle, striking out four and walking one. Flexen pitched well in South Korea last season and hopes to win a spot in the Mariners’ rotation. Dylan Moore had an RBI double.
Arizona starter Merrill Kelly allowed one run and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He threw 90 pitches. Christian Walker had two hits for the Diamondbacks.
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