KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez played first base for the first time in his professional career Sunday, handling three chances in three innings during the New York Yankees’ 7-0 win over the Houston Astros.

“It was fun,” Rodriguez said. “It was quite interesting, after 20 years in the league, to see the game from a totally different lens.”

The 39-year-old, who lost his third-base job to Chase Headley during a season-long drug suspension, caught Headley’s throw following Jose Altuve’s grounder leading off the bottom of the first.

He bobbled Evan Gattis’ second-inning grounder to his right, recovered and threw to pitcher Nathan Eovaldi at first for the out, then caught second baseman Stephen Drew’s throw on Colby Rasmus’ two-out grounder. Yankees manager Joe Girardi took out Rodriguez after 3-1/2 innings.

• Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira left a minor league intrasquad game after being hit on a leg by a pitch.

Teixeira was the designated hitter in Sunday’s game between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Trenton when the ball struck his right kneecap.

After he returned to Steinbrenner Field from the minor league complex, Teixeira said he was “fine.” He said no tests were planned.

ROCKIES: Colorado right fielder Carlos Gonzalez felt pain in his surgically repaired left knee and panicked.

“I was really scared because all of the things I went through in the off-season,” he said Sunday. “And then you start feeling weak again.”

The two-time All-Star declared himself pain-free Sunday, two days after leaving early in a game against San Diego.

INDIANS: Zach McAllister and T.J. House earned the final two jobs in Cleveland’s starting rotation.

CARDINALS: Jaime Garcia was scratched from Sunday’s start by St. Louis because his surgically-repaired shoulder doesn’t feel right, making it unlikely he will start the season on the active roster.

ATHLETICS: Oakland outfielder Josh Reddick says he won’t be ready for opening day because of his injured oblique.

Reddick played five innings in a minor league game Sunday and reported no issues with swinging a bat, running the bases and sliding.

MARLINS: Henderson Alvarez has been picked to start Miami’s opener against the Atlanta Braves on April 6.

Alvarez went 12-7 with a 2.65 ERA for Miami last season. The right-hander, who turns 25 on April 18, was the favorite because Jose Fernandez is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

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