An intrasquad matchup Wednesday between two precocious talents left Giancarlo Stanton dazed and Jose Fernandez shaken.
Stanton was hit in the back of the helmet during a Miami Marlins practice game by a fastball that got away from Fernandez, the team’s top pitching prospect. Stanton remained on his feet but left the game and said the beaning affected his vision.
Stanton bruised the back of his neck, and X-rays were planned, but there was no sign of a concussion.
PINEDA PLEADS NO CONTEST
New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda has pleaded no contest to driving under the influence.
Hillsborough County State Attorney spokesman Mark Cox said Pineda entered the plea Wednesday in a Tampa, Fla., courtroom.
Pineda was arrested and charged with DUI in Tampa on Aug. 20, 2012.
NATIONALS WAITING
Washington pitcher Gio Gonzalez says he and the Nationals are still waiting to hear from Major League Baseball, which is conducting an investigation linking him and other players to an anti-aging clinic in Coral Gables, Fla.
Gonzalez has denied he ever received performance-enhancing drugs from Tony Bosch’s now-closed Biogenesis of America clinic. ESPN reported Tuesday that Gonzalez was the only client named so far who had not received PEDs.
The 27-year-old left-hander made a statement to reporters, saying “he hadn’t heard anything yet officially from MLB,” but plans “on sitting down and cooperating with them.”
EXTRA BASES
Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes could be sidelined for two weeks because of a bulging disk that will be treated with anti-inflammatory medication. … Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy has a strained muscle on his right side and is day-to-day after receiving a cortisone shot in New York. … Royals manager Ned Yost had surgery to remove his gall bladder Tuesday afternoon and was back at camp on Wednesday. … Giants left-hander Javier Lopez will miss up to a week after a warm-up pitch hit him on the top of his left hand during practice. … Joe Garagiola, the ballplayer-turned-announcer who was honored by the Hall of Fame, said he’s ending his days as a broadcaster. Garagiola, 87, is retiring as a part-time television analyst for the Diamondbacks, and said goodbye at a 30-minute news conference at the team’s spring training facility. … Sophie Kurys, who stole 201 bases in 1946 while playing in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, died Sunday after complications from surgery. She was 87.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.