MLB Notes: Indians' Jason Kipnis Expected to Miss Opening Day With Shoulder Injury

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --  Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis is likely to miss opening day because of a sore right shoulder.

Indians manager Terry Francona said Sunday that Kipnis will be shut down for the next two weeks to let him recover.

Kipnis has been dealing with the problem this spring and had a cortisone shot two weeks ago.

Kipnis is a two-time All-Star. He hit .275 with 23 home runs and 82 RBIs last season, and then homered twice in the World Series loss to the Cubs.

Minus Kipnis, the Indians could use Michael Martinez at second base or perhaps shift Jose Ramirez over from third base.

RED SOX: Price tests out sore throwing elbow with 25 practice pitches
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox left-hander David Price was ahead of schedule for the first step in his recovery from a sore elbow, throwing into a net in a batting cage.

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Manager John Farrell said Price made 25 easy tosses Saturday before a Red Sox split squad played the Tampa Bay Rays.

"The range of motion, the freeness to the movement is all positive," Farrell said. "It was just throwing into the net, just to get his arm moving - a little bit ahead of what we laid out yesterday. But that's based on how he feels and the positivity towards it."

Price is still a ways away from pitching off a mound (see full story)

REDS: DeScalfani has sore pitching elbow; could miss start of the season
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Top Cincinnati Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani could miss the start of the season for a second straight year because of a sore pitching elbow.

The right-hander has been sidelined during spring training because of the elbow. He was expected to make his first appearance on Monday, but he was sore after throwing a bullpen session. DeSclafani was sent back to Cincinnati on Sunday for an MRI and further examination.

"After the doctors examine him, we'll have a better idea of whether this is a minor or major setback," general manager Dick Williams said.

DeSclafani was in line to start opening day last season before he strained an oblique late during camp. He missed the first two months of the season as the injury lingered. He wound up making 20 starts and going 9-5 with a 3.28 ERA (see full story)

DIAMONDBACKS: Drury excited about move to second base
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – After a season on the go, Brandon Drury is happy to know he'll primarily play second base this season for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He appeared in 62 games in left field as a rookie last year, 32 in right, 29 at third, 16 at second and even one at first.

"It will be a piece of cake for him this year by just focusing on one position," said teammate Chris Owings, who split time last year mostly between shortstop and center. "It's nice when you can go out and just take groundballs at second base. You can work on being in a shift one day. You can work on double plays one day. If he can focus on that versus worrying about, `Am I playing left or right or second or third?' then I think he's going to have a great year."

After making his big league debut in September 2015, Drury he hit .282 with 16 homers and 59 RBIs last year -- including .357 with six homers and 19 RBIs from Sept. 1 on.

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