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Braves rough up Kingham

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Nick Kingham, who is trying to win a spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation, was roughed up on Monday in the team’s 6-2 loss to Atlanta in Grapefruit League action.

Kingham went three-plus innings, giving up six hits and five runs, all earned, with four walks and two strikeouts. Steven Brault, who is in the battle for that No. 5 spot in the rotation, gave up just one run on three hits in four innings of work. He walked one and struck out one.

Patrick Kivlehan, a non-roster invitee for the Pirates, played five innings in left field and went 3-for-3 with an RBI. He is hitting .370 this spring for the team. Colin Moran added a hit and an RBI.

The Pirates host Minnesota today in Bradenton. Jameson Taillon is expected to get his first spring start. Also scheduled to work are Jordan Lyles, Michael Feliz and Tyler Lyons.

The game will be televised live on the AT&T Sports Network.

Kershaw throws again

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw threw his first bullpen since Feb. 20, an all-fastball session of 20 pitches.

The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner has been slowed by left shoulder discomfort.

“Good day, good step forward, for sure, and just kind of keep going forward from here,” Kershaw said after throwing to catcher Russell Martin. “Felt great. It was another good day. I’ll take that right now, just keep moving forward from here and start building up.”

Los Angeles is not sure whether Kershaw will be available for its March 28 opener against Arizona. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Kershaw showed command and “the feel for what he was doing with the ball was very Kershaw-esque.”

“It looked really good, he felt really good,” Friedman said. “He executed extremely well. For this step in the progression, it was everything we could have hoped for. ”

Kershaw will throw another bullpen and start throwing off-speed pitches soon. He has made eight consecutive opening-day starts but has mixed feelings about the importance of pitching this year’s opener.

Ozuna returns to field

JUPITER, Fla. — Marcell Ozuna’s surgically repaired right shoulder was given a quick test.

Ozuna played the outfield for the first time since arthroscopic shoulder surgery last Oct. 30. Trea Turner, Washington’s second batter in Monday’s game against St. Louis, lopped a ball down the left-field line, rounded first and didn’t slow down.

Ozuna made a one-hop throw to second that Turner barely beat.

“What I like about that throw was that it was strong — no pain,” Ozuna said.

He had not started throwing from the outfield to bases until Saturday’s drills.

Ozuna first felt a pop in his shoulder during a throwing session following the 2014 season. By the end of last season, Ozuna struggled to make even routine throws.

Foltynewicz won’t be ready

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Bothered by a sore elbow, Mike Foltynewicz will not be ready to pitch for the Atlanta Braves on opening day.

The All-Star right-hander has yet to make an appearance in a spring training game because of discomfort in his elbow that began about two weeks ago. While not believed to be a serious issue, Foltynewicz was forced to push back his throwing schedule.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos said Monday the team has been mapping out his routine for the next several weeks, but that won’t leave enough to time for him to be ready for the March 28 opener at NL East rival Philadelphia.

Uecker got playoff cut

MILWAUKEE — Bob Uecker is touched the Milwaukee Brewers still consider him one of the boys.

Last November, after the Brewers came within one game of going to the World Series, the players voted to give a full playoff share to their beloved radio play-by-play man. Uecker donated the $123,000 to charity.

“To include me in that, I couldn’t believe it,” the 85-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . “I’ve tried to make sure I thanked every one of them. When I talked to them about it, they said, ‘Ueck, that was no big deal. You were part of that.’ Still, I was shocked when they did it.”

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