MLB notebook: Cards' Beltran, Westbrook hurt
BY Associated Press
Friday, March 01, 2013
3/01/13 at 5:23 AM
Carlos Beltran and Jake Westbrook limped to the St. Louis Cardinals' clubhouse moments apart Thursday, which made manager Mike Matheny glad it was still only February.
Beltran bruised the little toe on his right foot when he was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the Cardinals' 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. Westbrook bruised his left leg below the knee on a grounder hit by Casey Kotchman in the second inning.
Beltran's X-rays were negative, but he said the injury was painful, and he was unsure whether it would affect his plans to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Westbrook didn't undergo X-rays.
Beltran scored after being hit then left the game.
Westbrook, pitching in his first game, departed after a long visit at the mound from Matheny and a team trainer.
Rangers' Andrus out due to soreness from tattoo: Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus has been scratched because of what the club called "sensitivity in his left arm" - apparently caused by a tattoo.
Andrus spent nine hours the two days before Thursday's spring training game against the Indians under a needle. He wanted a likeness of his late father, Emilo Andrus, who died in 1996 when Elvis was 7.
Andrus tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he'll be ready to play Friday. He says: "It's a memory of my dad. I'm really proud that it's going to be on myself forever."
The tattoo apparently is Andrus' last. He says "I'm done with this, too much pain."
Shields makes Royals debut: James Shields' spring training debut for the Kansas City Royals went by so quickly, he wound up in the bullpen to increase his pitch count.
Shields threw nine of 13 pitches for strikes in the first inning of Thursday's 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres in Peoria, Ariz., helping the Royals improve to 6-0-1 in the exhibition season.
Obtained in December as part of the six-player trade that sent top prospects Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi to the Rays, Shields has reached double digits in wins and 200 innings in six straight seasons.
