Anthony Rendon was scheduled to meet with Dr. Steven Singleton in Vail, Colorado, for a third opinion on his injured left knee.

Dr. James Andrews on Monday confirmed the Washington Nationals' initial diagnosis of a sprained medial collateral ligament.

"We're just trying to make sure we cover all bases and everybody gets a chance to take a look at it and develop a course of action from today on," Matt Williams said.

Rendon was hurt making a diving stop in a game against Atlanta on March 9.

Justin Verlander will miss his scheduled spring training start Thursday because of soreness in his right triceps.

Verlander still hopes to start for the Detroit Tigers on April 8, his first turn during the regular season.

The right-hander left Friday's exhibition outing with a cramp in his right triceps. He threw Sunday but still had soreness Monday.

J.J. Hardy will likely begin the season on the disabled list because of a strained left shoulder.

Buck Showalter said Monday that the Baltimore Orioles were optimistic that Hardy wouldn't miss much time and that "nothing would reach into May."

"What they expected to find, they found. Just a matter of how long (he'll be out)," Showalter said. "... It's pretty good news, all things considered."

Hardy was hurt Friday when he collided with second baseman Jonathan Schoop while diving for a ground ball.

Mark Teixeira left a minor league intrasquad game Sunday with a bruised right knee after being hit by a pitch.

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

He said he was "fine" and the New York Yankees said no tests were planned.

Rockies 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 offseason,'' he said Sunday. ''And then you start feeling weak again.''

Gonzalez declared himself pain-free Sunday, two days after leaving early in a game against San Diego.

Red Sox manager John Farrell eased the speculation about his Opening Day starter by naming Clay Buchholz to go against the Phillies on April 6, according to an ESPN.com report.

"He came into camp in a good place, both mentally and physically," Farrell said. "The line score last time out to me doesn't reflect the way the ball came out of his hand. Now, line scores are important. I get it. But he feels good physically. He's confident. We've seen when Clay has been in that place, he's one of the better pitchers in baseball."

A's outfielder Josh Reddick says he won't be ready for opening day because of his injured oblique, according to an Yahoo.com report.

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

''It's a huge relief,'' he said. ''I wasn't really worried about anything bothering me, went out there and got a couple of three-ball counts. Swung hard trying to hit it far.''

Justin Verlander played catch briefly Sunday morning for the first time since leaving a start with a cramp in his right tricep, but it remained unclear when the Tigers ace would pitch again.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Verlander did some light tossing at the team's spring training camp and still felt "a little bit tight," but otherwise reported some general improvement.

"He felt better today," Ausmus said before the Tigers' game Sunday with the Phillies. "Not completely better, but he feels better than he did yesterday."

The results of the MRI on Christian Vazquez's throwing elbow Friday raised concerns for the Red Sox catcher to seek a second opinion, manager John Farrell said Saturday morning.

Farrell was vague about the MRI's, but said he met with Vazquez on Saturday to discuss the results, and a decision to seek a second opinion was made. 

Vazquez will see orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday in Pensacola, Florida, the team announced Sunday.

Mariners prospect Victor Sanchez died in Venezuela from injuries sustained in a boating accident in his home country in February, the team announced. He was 20.

"The Seattle Mariners are saddened to learn of the passing of Victor Sanchez,"Mariners executive vice president and general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement.