Red Sox Spring Training: Price Scratched, Pearce Exits Early

Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce took himself out of Sunday's spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after experiencing some discomfort in his lower left leg.

Pearce exited the game in the first inning after he grounded out to short and experienced discomfort while running down the line. He described his exit as precautionary.

"The younger me would try to push through it," Pearce said. "I don’t think I would like the outcome if I kept going, but there’s no injury right now. I didn’t feel it pop. It wasn’t anything that is too alarming."

Pearce was part of a split-squad group that traveled to Bradenton to take on the Pirates. He left LECOM Park early and headed back to Fort Myers to be evaluated by the Red Sox medical staff.

“It’s just something you come on the road, we don’t have that much time to warm up, we don’t have stretching stations, a weight room, stuff like that to get loose. You come in, you hit, you eat, and boom, you’ve got to play. I don’t feel like I addressed it (stretching) before the game like I could have.”

Meanwhile, David Price was scratched from his start against the Tampa Bay Rays due to an illness. Price was originally scheduled to start for the split-squad group that stayed in Fort Myers to host the Rays at JetBlue Park.

Price pitched three innings in his spring training debut on Tuesday against the Tigers. He allowed two hits, including a home run, struck out four and walked two.

The Red Sox lost Sunday's game in Bradenton against the Pirates, 8-1, while the group that stayed in For Myers defeated the Rays, 3-2.