PHOENIX — Paul Goldschmidt was held out of Arizona’s lineup for the fifth game in a row Friday night even though he said he feels good and could play.

Instead, Manager Torey Lovullo had Goldschmidt go through a normal pregame routine of batting and infield practice, then report back on how he feels.

Goldschmidt was sidelined when he felt stiffness in his right elbow. The Diamondbacks said an MRI showed no structural damage.

Lovullo said that depending on how Goldschmidt felt, he might be available to pinch hit.

The Diamondbacks have done just fine without their star first baseman. They have won a club-record 13 straight games going into Friday night’s game against San Diego.

ORIOLES: Shortstop J.J. Hardy, out nearly three months with a broken right wrist, has been activated from the 60-day disabled list.

Advertisement

Hardy was hit by a pitch on June 18 and placed on the DL the following day. He is batting .211 with three home runs and 21 RBI in 64 games and recently completed a minor league rehab assignment.

Tim Beckham, acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, has taken over at shortstop. He’s batting .359 with seven homers and 20 RBI since the trade.

YANKEES, RAYS: Hurricane Irma has forced next week’s series between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays to be moved to Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.

The Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday series was set to be played in St. Petersburg, Florida. But concerns over where Irma will hit, and what it will do to the Tampa Bay area, prompted officials to decide that moving the series was best.

Playing at other neutral sites, like the Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards and the Chicago White Sox’ Guaranteed Rate Field, was considered. But hotel availability was tough in both series, so the series heads to New York, where only the Rays will need lodging.

The Rays played host to a series between Houston and Texas last month, after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and forced changes there.

Copy the Story Link

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.