Nats reliever Harris out with blood clot in pitching arm

Updated Mar. 20, 2021 3:13 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Washington Nationals reliever Will Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and the team doesn't expect him to be in the bullpen on opening day.

Harris is leaving spring training camp to be examined by a specialist, manager Dave Martinez said Friday.

“I don’t know much about what’s going to happen here. But for me, when somebody mentions something like that, it’s kind of a scary deal,” Martinez said. “Until we know more about it, then I got to assume that he’s going to not start with us this season.”

The Nationals open on April 1 at home against the New York Mets.

“He felt weird his last outing,” Martinez said. “So we kind of backed off a little bit, got an MRI, and in the arm was a little small blood clot.”

Harris last pitched in an exhibition game on March 9, throwing one scoreless inning against the Houston Astros. The right-hander appeared in a “B game” on Saturday.

Harris, then with Houston, gave up a go-ahead, two-run homer to Washington’s Howie Kendrick in the seventh inning of World Series Game 7 two years ago, a game the Nationals won 6-2 for their first title.

The 36-year-old Harris signed with Washington as a free agent after the 2019 season. He went 0-1 with one save and a 3.06 ERA in 20 games last year for the Nationals.

Harris has been expected to be a part of a formidable back end of the bullpen along with Brad Hand and Daniel Hudson for Washington, which finished last season tied for last in the NL East.

“He’s pretty upbeat considering what’s going on,” Martinez said. “Hopefully we’ll know more sooner than later, and then we can determine what’s going to happen.”

RED SOX 11, RAYS 7

Nathan Eovaldi continued to struggle in his third start for Boston, surrendering five runs on eight hits and a walk in four innings. Eovaldi has a 10.61 ERA this spring. Hunter Renfroe hit his second home run. Prospect Jarren Duran had four hits and is batting .407 this spring.

Rich Hill was knocked around in his third start for Tampa Bay, yielding three runs on five hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings. Starter Chris Archer came on in the fourth, striking out two in two perfect innings. Yandy Díaz had two hits, including his first home run. Mike Zunino also homered, Yoshi Tsutsugo had two hits and Willy Adames and Joey Wendle both tripled.

METS 8, CARDINALS 5

Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam, Pete Alonso doubled for the fifth time this spring and Tomás Nido homered and doubled. Jeff McNeil, in the midst of a 2-for-27 skid, was hit by a pitch three times.

Taijuan Walker made his second start, allowing a bad-hop single and a walk in four shutout innings. Jerry Blevins, who returned to the Mets to vie for a bullpen spot, pitched a perfect inning.

Carlos Martínez struggled in his fourth start for St. Louis. He was pulled after throwing 25 pitches in the first inning, allowing a run on a walk to Brandon Nimmo and a two-out double by Alonso.

Martínez returned to the mound to start the second, surrendering Nido's homer, and left with two on and one out in the fourth, giving up five runs on five hits and two walks.

BLUE JAYS 8, TIGERS 1

Robbie Ray made his fourth start for Toronto, pitching 5 1/3 innings and giving up a run on four hits and a walk, striking out seven. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3 for 3, raising his average to .600 this spring. Jonathan Davis and Joe Panik each had two hits.

Casey Mize struggled for a third straight start in his fourth appearance for Detroit, surrendering five runs on eight hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings. JaCoby Jones had two hits, including his first home run. Miguel Cabrera struck out twice in three trips and is batting .160 this spring.

DODGERS 7, RANGERS 2

Julio Urías made his fourth start for Los Angeles, allowing two hits in four shutout innings, striking out three. Max Muncy and Chris Taylor each had three hits, Edwin Rios doubled twice and Mookie Betts also doubled.

Kyle Cody made his second start for Texas, surrendering five runs on eight hits and a walk, retiring seven batters. Ronald Guzmán hit his third home run, connecting off Kenley Jansen.

ANGELS 4, ROYALS 4 (9 INNINGS)

Dylan Bundy gave up one earned in his third start for Los Angeles, yielding three hits while striking out six in five innings. Scott Schebler hit his third home run and also singled and scored on Jo Adell’s double.

Brady Singer made his third start for Kansas City, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk in five innings. Carlos Santana homered and doubled.

CUBS 6, ATHLETICS 1

Zach Davies made his third start for Chicago, pitching four innings and allowing an unearned run on four hits and three walks. Willson Contreras hit his third home run and Anthony Rizzo had three hits. Ian Happ had a three-run double and Jason Heyward doubled and singled.

Frankie Montas made his second start for Oakland, yielding two runs on four hits and a walk, striking out four in three innings. Chad Pinder had two hits.

ROCKIES 9, INDIANS 4

Jon Gray went five innings in his second start for Colorado, allowing three runs on five hits, striking out six. Sam Hilliard and Dom Nuñez homered.

Aaron Civale made his third start for Cleveland, yielding three earned runs on four hits and a walk in four innings. Roberto Pérez and Franmil Reyes each hit their second homers.

BREWERS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 3

Billy McKinney hit home runs in consecutive at-bats, connecting with the bases empty in the sixth and with two on in the eighth to put Milwaukee on top. McKinney has four homers this spring.

Adrian Houser made his fourth start. Houser, competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, settled down after Christian Walker’s three-run homer in the first, pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing six hits and two walks. Closer Josh Hader struck out two and walked one in a scoreless inning.

Kolten Wong led off the bottom of the first with his second homer. Christian Yelich, who was replaced by McKinney, had two hits, including a double.

Caleb Smith had his best outing in his fourth start for Arizona, allowing one run on five hits and a walk, pitching 4 1/3 innings and striking out six. Walker hit his fourth homer.

NATIONALS 10, ASTROS 9

Josh Bell hit his fourth homer of the spring for Washington, a three-run shot. Victor Robles launched his third home run, and Josh Harrison also went deep.

Michael Brantley and Alex Bregman went back-to-back against Nationals reliever Daniel Hudson. Houston starter Luis Garcia was tagged for five runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings.

ORIOLES 11, PIRATES 9

Trey Mancini hit his first home run since missing last season following surgery for colon cancer. He singled and scored twice as well. Ryan Mountcastle, who drove in three runs, and Cedric Mullins also went deep for Baltimore. Wade LeBlanc did not allow an earned run in three hitless innings.

Veteran newcomer Todd Frazier hit his third homer for Pittsburgh and knocked in three runs. Ke’Bryan Hayes had two doubles, giving him six this spring, and is batting .433 with a 1.285 OPS.

BRAVES 4, TWINS 2

Atlanta starter Ian Anderson struck out nine in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs and four hits with one walk. Will Smith whiffed two in a hitless inning of relief.

Minnesota starter Randy Dobnak went 3 1/3 innings, giving up only an unearned run and one hit with five strikeouts and no walks. Miguel Sanó went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and is batting .125 this spring.

PHILLIES 4, YANKEES 1

Iván Nova started against his former team and tossed three effective innings for Philadelphia, permitting just one run and one hit despite three walks. The Phillies didn’t get a hit until the eighth but scored four times in the ninth. Both clubs finished with two hits.

Touted youngster Deivi García, trying to win a rotation spot, threw three shutout innings for New York and has a 1.64 ERA. He worked around four walks and did not allow a hit while striking out two. Aroldis Chapman, Darren O’Day, Justin Wilson and Chad Green each fired a hitless inning of relief.

Big league home run champ Luke Voit doubled and had a sacrifice fly. Aaron Judge fanned three times.

MARINERS 7, WHITE SOX 6

AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis hit his first homer of the spring, connecting off new Chicago starter Lance Lynn. Lewis scored twice and finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a walk. Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager and top prospect Jarred Kelenic also had two hits for the Mariners. Marco Gonzales gave up five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Lynn was charged with three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out five. Adam Engel hit a three-run homer and a triple off Gonzales. Nick Madrigal was 3 for 3.

REDS 6, GIANTS 2

Nick Senzel had two hits and scored twice from the leadoff spot for Cincinnati. He also walked, stole a base and drove in a run. He’s batting .357 this spring. Jesse Winker also had two hits and an RBI. Eugenio Suarez delivered an RBI double, and scuffling new reliever Sean Doolittle pitched a scoreless inning.

San Francisco starter Aaron Sanchez allowed three runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings, leaving him with an 11.57 ERA.

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