TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Boston Red Sox infielder Justin Turner needed 16 stitches, but appeared to avoid any broken bones, after he was hit in the face by a pitch during Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
The 38-year-old Turner fell to the ground after getting drilled by right-hander Matt Manning. Medical personnel rushed to the plate, and Turner was bleeding and had a towel on his face as he walked off the field.
Turner’s wife, Kourtney, posted to Instagram that the infielder had “16 stitches and a lot of swelling but we are thanking God for no fractures & clear scans.”
“He’s receiving treatment for soft tissue injuries, and is being monitored for a concussion,” the Red Sox said in a statement. “He will undergo further testing, and we’ll update as we have more information. Justin is stable, alert, and in good spirits given the circumstances.”
The two-time All-Star signed a $15 million, one-year deal with the Red Sox during the offseason after spending the past nine years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit .278 with 13 homers and 81 RBIs in 128 games last season.
ALL RISE
Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his first homer of the spring — a three-run shot — against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The reigning AL MVP launched a towering, opposite-field drive just over the right-center wall as part of a six-run second inning.
The four-time All-Star broke the American League record with 62 home runs last season.
New York manager Aaron Boone said Judge will play left field on Wednesday, as the Yankees experiment with using their regular right fielder in the other corner on occasion.
SALE THROWS 2 SCORELESS INNINGS
Chris Sale pitched two scoreless innings for the Red Sox as the seven-time All-Star tries to bounce back from three straight injury-marred seasons.
Sale gave up two hits and struck out two against Detroit in his first outing this spring.
“I got it back. I appreciate it more,” Sale told the Boston Globe. “I’m trying to have more fun with it; I’m trying to be more open-minded; I’m trying to kind of soak some things in and really appreciate it.”
Sale was one of the game’s most dominant pitchers throughout the 2010s, but has thrown just 48 1/3 innings since 2019. He missed the 2020 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and then had a variety of injuries last season — including a bike accident — that kept him off the mound.
The 33-year-old Sale is in the fourth season of a $145 million, five-year deal.
TWO BALKS
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Mychal Givens was called for two balks in the fourth inning.
Givens was called for both balks because he didn’t come to a complete stop while in the stretch before delivering his pitch. MLB says umpires are watching for more balks this year when runners are on base.
Givens has just one career balk in 419 regular-season appearances.
Some pitchers — particularly relievers — have funky idiosyncrasies in their deliveries and never come to a complete stop before delivering a pitch. That’s technically a balk, but umpires usually let those tics slide.
Not anymore. A complete stop with no movement becomes more significant because the pitch clock operator turns off the new pitch clock once the pitcher’s motion toward the plate begins.
Givens still pitched a scoreless inning of relief while striking out two.
TROUT READY FOR WBC
Angels star Mike Trout was 0 for 2 at the plate in his final tune-up before joining the United States for the World Baseball Classic.
The U.S. has exhibitions on Wednesday and Thursday before Saturday’s opener against Britain in Phoenix.
Trout, the U.S. captain, is part of a roster that includes Mookie Betts, Pete Alonso, Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt.
“It’s going to be special,” Trout said. “We’re just going out there, have some fun, see where it goes. We’ve got a pretty good team, but there’s a lot of great countries out there.”
CASTILLO SETTLES IN WITH MARINERS
Two-time All-Star Luis Castillo pitched 2 1/3 innings for the Mariners, allowing four hits and two runs against the Chicago Cubs in his second start. He struck out four and hit a batter with a pitch.
The 30-year-old right-hander was acquired from Cincinnati last summer and signed a $108 million, five-year contract. Castillo was 4-2 with a 3.17 ERA in 11 starts after the trade and helped Seattle to its first postseason berth since 2001.
Unlike many of his All-Star teammates, including outfielders Julio Rodríguez and Teoscar Hernández, Castillo opted not to play for the Dominican Republic in the WBC.
“This was a decision that a large group of us came up with,” Castillo said of staying behind. “I feel like my team has all the talent to go ahead and win the whole thing.”
One of the Cubs he faced Monday was longtime Reds batterymate Tucker Barnhart, who signed as a free agent with Chicago in the offseason.
“I think it’s the first time that I faced him,” Castillo said. “We spent a lot of time together. When we were up there he was laughing and I was laughing and we were just having fun.”
Castillo got the last laugh, retiring his former catcher on a slow roller to third.
POPULAR BRAVES
The Atlanta Braves plan to stop the sale of season tickets to preserve the availability of single-game tickets.
Braves president Derek Schiller said it’s the first time in team history season-ticket sales have been cut off before the first game.
The Braves plan to cut off the sale of season tickets on or around March 17. The team said it’s on pace to approach the 2022 Truist Park record total of more than 3.1 million in attendance. The Braves finished fourth in the majors last season with their average of 38,461 fans at Truist Park.
“We are now focused on ensuring that more of our fans who only come to one or two games are able to buy seats,” Schiller said in a statement released by the team.
The Braves said their April 6 home opener against San Diego and some other high-profile games already are approaching sellout or standing-room-only status.
FLAHERTY HEALTHY, QUINTANA NOT
St. Louis right-hander Jack Flaherty pitched three innings against the Astros in his first spring training appearance, giving up one run, walking one and striking out five. Flaherty’s outing was pushed back a day because of calf tightness. … Mets left-hander José Quintana has a small stress fracture of his fifth rib on the left side, according to the team. He’s headed back to New York for further evaluation.
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AP Sports Writer Charles Odum and freelance writer Jack Thompson contributed to this report.
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