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 Marlins camp in Jupiter, Florida. “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 I strain is considered the least severe.
Playing for Team Venezuela, Prado injured his hamstring running out a grounder in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s loss to the United States.
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.
The 33-year-old Prado 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 homers in 351 at-bats last season, and Rojas hit .247 in 194 at-bats.
Elsewhere around the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues:
TWINS 13, RED SOX 8
Boston starter Drew Pomeranz exited 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 homer for Boston, and Mitch Moreland went 3 for 3. Ben Paulson had a solo homer and three hits for Minnesota, while Joe Mauer walked twice and scored.
RAYS 8, PHILLIES 0
Corey Dickerson hit his third homer 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 try 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 five scoreless innings, allowing four 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 three runs and six hits in five 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 INNINGS
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 two earned runs and four hits while striking out three. Ryan Zimmerman hit his first home run of the spring for Washington.
Miami starter Adam Conley went 2 2/3 innings was touched for seven runs on five hits and three walks.
MARLINS (ss) 7, METS 5
Miami starter Jose Urena did not give up a run in 4 1/3 innings, working around four hits and four walks. Matt den Dekker hit two homers, including one off Jacob deGrom.
DeGrom gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
ROYALS 6, CUBS 2
Ian Kennedy pitched six shutout innings against the defending World Series champions and allowed three hits while striking out seven. Mike Moustakas hit his third home run of the spring and added a sacrifice fly. Christian Colon had a two-run single for Kansas City.
Chicago starter Mike Montgomery went three innings, giving up two runs and two hits. He struck out five and walked one. Addison Russell hit his fifth homer, the first run Mike Minor has permitted this spring as he tries to revitalize his career after a torn labrum in 2015.
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 four innings, allowing six earned runs and nine hits. His ERA is 11.12 this spring.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, INDIANS 4, 9 INNINGS
Edwin Encarnacion laced an RBI double and Cleveland prospect Yandy Dφaz had three hits and an RBI. Dφaz 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 homer 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 seven runs and eight 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 four innings in his start for the Angels, giving up four runs — two earned — and six hits while striking out eight. 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 three runs and eight hits in five 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 four innings for San Diego and gave up two runs and five hits. Hunter Renfroe and Hector Sanchez homered.
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