Prado to miss regular season start

This is a 2017 photo of Martin Prado of the Miami Marlins.
This is a 2017 photo of Martin Prado of the Miami Marlins.

Miami Marlins third baseman Martin Prado is expected to miss the start of the regular season after straining his right hamstring at the World Baseball Classic.

Marlins Manager Don Mattingly already has ruled out Prado playing in any exhibition games.

"Obviously, it's never good, but I'm encouraged it's a Grade 1," Mattingly said Sunday at the Marlins' camp in Jupiter, Fla. "From there we just kind of wait until he's ready, honestly. We hope that he misses as little as possible, but we're going to definitely err on the side of caution."

A Grade 1 strain is considered the least severe.

Playing for Team Venezuela, Prado injured his hamstring running out a ground ball in the sixth inning of Wednesday's loss to Team USA.

The Marlins are not attaching a timeline to his return to the lineup.

"We say, oh, he's only going to miss two weeks, then that two weeks comes and he's thinking, 'I've got to be ready by then' and if he's not quite ready then he's just not quite ready," Mattingly said. "I'd rather say we are going to get him healthy, make sure he's healthy."

The Marlins open the regular season April 3 at Washington.

Prado, 33, is the only Marlins starter over 30, and he serves as the unofficial captain of the club. A career .293 hitter, Prado batted .305 and drove in 75 runs last season.

In Prado's absence, utility players Derek Dietrich and Miguel Rojas will handle most of the work at third base. Dietrich hit .279 with seven home runs in 351 at-bats last season and Rojas hit .247 in 194 at-bats.

Elsewhere around the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues on Sunday:

TWINS 13, RED SOX 8

Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz was forced to leave the game early due to triceps tightness. He lasted two innings and allowed three earned runs. The left-hander said he didn't think the trouble was anything serious.

Hanley Ramirez hit his third home run for Boston and Mitch Moreland went 3 for 3. Ben Paulson had a solo home run and three hits for Minnesota, while Joe Mauer walked twice and scored.

RAYS 8, PHILLIES 0

Corey Dickerson hit his third home run and Steven Souza Jr. had two hits and scored twice for Tampa Bay.

Rays starter Justin Marks and three relievers combined to retire the first 22 Phillies hitters before Tommy Joseph broke up the perfect game attempt with a double.

TIGERS 7, ORIOLES 1

No definitive word yet on when Detroit right fielder J.D. Martinez will be back from his sprained foot. He was injured Saturday making a catch and a specialist is going to look at the injury.

Matt Boyd threw five solid innings, allowing just one run. Boyd is currently in contention for one of the Tigers' final rotation slots behind Justin Verlander, Michael Fulmer and Jordan Zimmermann.

Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman pitched five shutout innings, striking out eight.

YANKEES 6, ASTROS 4

Former Yankees catcher Brian McCann went 3 for 3 against his old team, and Houston starter Lance McCullers Jr. allowed two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Chase Headley had two hits for New York, including a two-run double.

CARDINALS 5, BRAVES 2

St. Louis starter Lance Lynn worked 5 scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits and lowering his spring ERA to 1.29. Matt Adams homered and Tommy Pham, Randal Grichuk and Jedd Gyorko all doubled.

Julio Teheran, set to be Atlanta's opening day starter for the fourth consecutive year, gave up 3 runs and 6 hits in 5 innings. Arodys Vizcaino, who pitched just 2 2/3 innings after last year's All-Star break because of injuries, worked a perfect sixth, striking out two of the three hitters he faced.

BLUE JAYS 11, PIRATES 11 (9)

Gerrit Cole made his second Grapefruit League start and first since March 3, working five strong innings. He gave up five hits, including a home run by Ezequiel Carrera, and struck out five. David Freese doubled and singled for Pittsburgh, raising his average to .360.

Mike Bolsinger, transitioning to long relief and spot starting for 2017, started and worked 2 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays.

NATIONALS 10, MARLINS (ss) 4

Working on ways to prevent tipping his pitches, Stephen Strasburg tossed 4 1/3 innings. He allowed 2 earned runs and 4 hits while striking out 3. Ryan Zimmerman hit his first home run of the spring for Washington.

Miami starter Adam Conley went 2 2/3 innings was touched for 7 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks.

MARLINS (ss) 7, METS 5

Miami starter Jose Urena did not give up a run in 4 1/3 innings, working around 4 hits and 4 walks. Matt den Dekker hit two home runs, including one off Jacob deGrom.

DeGrom gave up 4 runs and 7 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

BREWERS 6, GIANTS 4

Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Hernan Perez both hit their third home run of the spring for Milwaukee. Perez added an RBI single, Travis Shaw had an RBI double and the Brewers chased San Francisco starter Jeff Samardzija early.

Samardzija lasted 4 innings, allowing 6 earned runs and 9 hits. His ERA is 11.12 this spring.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, INDIANS 4 (9)

Edwin Encarnacion laced an RBI double and Cleveland prospect Yandy Díaz had three hits and an RBI. Díaz was the International League Rookie of the Year in 2016.

Patrick Corbin yielded two earned runs through five innings for Arizona. The left-hander is trying to rebound from a 6.30 ERA in 2016.

RANGERS 3, MARINERS 2

Carlos Gomez launched a two-run home run and Ryan Rua added a solo shot for Texas. Leadoff man Delino DeShields Jr. had two hits.

Mitch Haniger had an RBI double and Taylor Motter finished with two hits for Seattle.

DODGERS 3, JAPAN 2

Free-agent addition Franklin Gutierrez had two hits and scored a run for Los Angeles in an exhibition game against Japan's team in the World Baseball Classic. O'Koyea Dickson drove in two runs with a game-ending double for the Dodgers.

Sho Nakata had an RBI single for Japan, set to face the United States in the WBC semifinals Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. Astros outfielder Nori Aoki went 0 for 2.

ROCKIES 9, ATHLETICS 2

Jon Gray improved to 2-0 this spring by giving up just two hits in five innings. He permitted one run while striking out seven. Charlie Blackmon doubled and homered to drive in three runs.

Oakland starter Jesse Hahn gave up 7 runs and 8 hits in 3 1/3 innings. Mark Canha had a double, the only extra-base hit allowed by five Colorado pitchers.

WHITE SOX 11, ANGELS 2

Yoan Moncada hit his third home run of the spring and doubled twice, driving in four runs for Chicago. Moncada was the centerpiece prospect acquired from Boston in the trade for Chris Sale.

Carlos Rodon gave up one hit over four innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Matt Shoemaker worked 4 innings in his start for the Angels, giving up 4 runs -- 2 earned -- and 6 hits while striking out 8. Sherman Johnson's double was the lone extra-base hit.

REDS 9, PADRES 4

Cincinnati prospect Amir Garrett, a former power forward at St. John's who is vying for a spot in the big league rotation, gave up 3 runs and 8 hits in 5 innings. Garrett threw 38 pitches and is 3-1 this spring.

Scott Schebler, Patrick Kivlehan and Jesse Winker homered for the Reds.

Jarred Cosart went 4 innings for San Diego and gave up 2 runs and 5 hits. Hunter Renfroe and Hector Sanchez homered.

Sports on 03/20/2017

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