Boston ace Chris Sale will start this season in the same place he ended 2019: on the injured list.
The left-hander will be placed on the IL after reporting to spring training with pneumonia.
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"With the sickness, it cost him two weeks’ time and that two weeks is what we’d like to give him to make sure that he’s right," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said Thursday. "He’s worked hard on getting his arm right and we didn’t think four starts in spring training was fair to him."
Sale did not pitch after Aug. 13 last season due to elbow inflammation. The left-hander agreed with the decision, even though he's not happy about it.
"It was a gut punch," he said. "When we were in that meeting, I said, ‘The only thing this hurts is my ego, and that doesn’t matter.’"
CUBS
Chicago Cubs reliever Brad Wieck had surgery this week for an abnormal heart flutter and is out indefinitely.
The team said an irregular heartbeat was discovered during the 28-year-old left-hander’s spring training physical. Subsequent tests showed an intermittent atrial flutter.
Wieck underwent a cardiac ablation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Monday and returned to Arizona two days later. The Cubs said Wieck will rest and rehab for the next week, then be re-evaluated. Wieck had a 5.71 ERA over 44 appearances for San Diego and Chicago last season.
ORIOLES 13, PIRATES 0
Chris Davis hit his second home run and is 4 for 5 with three walks. He is trying to rebound after hitting .192 with 92 homers, 230 RBIs, a .679 OPS and 745 strikeouts in the first four seasons of his $161 million, seven-year contract. Ryan Mountcastle, a 23-year-old prospect, went 3 for 3 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs. Pittsburgh's Kevin Newman, picked No. 19 overall in 2015, went 0 for 3 and is 1 for 9.
PHILLIES 12, RED SOX 5
Scott Kingery had three RBIs, including a two-run homer, and Alec Bohm added two RBIs. The 23-year-old Bohm, picked No. 3 overall in 2018, is 5 for 10. Jonathan Arauz, a 21-year-old shortstop, hit a three-run homer for Boston and 20-year-old prospect Bryan Mata allowed two hits and walked one with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings. Jeter Downs, acquired in the deal that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, went 0 for 1 and is hitless with three strikeouts in seven at-bats.
BRAVES 3, CARDINALS 1
Dansby Swanson’s RBI double gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. Freddie Freeman said Thursday that he hope to return to the lineup next week. The four-time All-Star, who batted .295 and set career highs with 38 home runs and 121 RBIs last season, has been out of action since his surgically-repaired right elbow swelled on Monday. Top-prospect Dylan Carlson went 1 for 1 with two walks and is batting .455.
TWINS 3, BLUE JAYS 3
Jake Cave went 3 for 3 with two doubles and a home run and starter Randy Dobnak and five relievers combined to allow one hit in the first eight innings, Reece McGuire's solo homer in the first. Bo Bichette and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. both went 0 for 3, Bichette is 1 for 14 and Gurriel is 0 for 11. Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed three hits and one run over two innings.
YANKEES 7, RAYS (SS) 1
Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade hit back-to-back home runs in a three-run first inning. Daniel Robertson was 2 for 3 with a double and a run for Tampa Bay.
Yankees right-hander Luis Severino had Tommy John surgery in New York. The team said the operation went as planned, and an existing bone chip in his right elbow was removed during the procedure. The two-time All-Star will miss all of 2020 after being sidelined for nearly all of 2019.
RAYS (SS) 6, TIGERS 3
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo and Willy Adames each had two RBIs and Adames’ opposite-field, two-run homer gave Tampa Bay a 4-0 lead in the second. Detroit starter Jordan Zimmermann allowed four runs on five hits and struck out three over 2 2/3 innings. Eric Haase homered.
REDS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 0
Madison Bumgarner allowed one hit in his first outing -- Derek Dietrich’s solo homer -- and struck out four in two innings. Trevor Bauer struck out two over two perfect innings. Tyler Stephenson went 2 for 2 with a double, a homer and four RBIs.
RANGERS 13, CUBS 1
Rougned Odor hit a grand slam in the first inning, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Nick Ciuffo and Andy Ibanez also homered for Texas. Chicago’s Kyle Schwarber went 0 for 3 and has five strikeouts in nine at-bats.
WHITE SOX 6, MARINERS (ss) 5
Cheslor Cuthbert and Zack Collins each homered, and 22-year-old prospect Luis Robert went 1 for 2 with a double and a walk. Jake Fraley and Cal Raleigh each hit a home run for Seattle. Mallex Smith singled for first hit after an 0-for-7 start.
ATHLETICS 5, ROCKIES 2
A.J. Puk allowed two hits with one strikeout in two scoreless innings for Oakland. Nolan Arenado hit a home run for Colorado. Kyle Freeland allowed one hit -- a solo homer by Chad Pinder -- over two innings.
DODGERS 6, INDIANS 5
Kiké Hernandez’s second home run oopened the scoring in the first inning for a 3-0 lead. Tony Gonsolin struck out three in two shutout innings. Domingo Santana hit a two-run triple, and Bobby Bradley had a two-run homer off the batter’s eye.
BREWERS 4, ROYALS 2
Orlando Arcia hit a three-run homer during a four-run second inning, giving him seven RBIs. Former Royal Lorenzo Cain had a hit and Kansas City made four errors.
PADRES 1, ANGELS 0
Adrian Morejon made his first start -- on his 21st birthday -- and struck out two over 1 1/3 innings as nine San Diego pitchers combined for a four-hitter. Taylor Trammell went 2 for 3 with a RBI single. Matt Andriese allowed two hits and a walk with three strikeouts over two innings for Los Angeles.
GIANTS 5, MARINERS 4
Mike Yastrzemski was one of five Giants with an RBI, and Tyler Beede struck out two over two scoreless innings. J.P. Crawford had two RBIs for Seattle.
ASTROS 5, NATIONALS 5
Washington ace Max Scherzer went three innings, striking out five. He allowed two runs, one earned, and three hits. Adam Eaton hit a leadoff homer for the Nationals and finished 2 for 2 with a double, a walk and three runs scored.
Houston leadoff hitter George Springer was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. Yuli Gurriel went 2 for 2 with a walk.
MARLINS 3, METS 1
Lewis Brinson homered and starter Robert Dugger struck out four in 2 2/3 shutout innings to help Miami improve to 6-0 this spring. Jordan Yamamoto fanned four in three scoreless innings of relief.
Pete Alonso doubled for the Mets, and Rick Porcello pitched two scoreless innings in his second start with his new team.
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