Buck Showalter says he wasn't trying to get under the skin of the Boston Red Sox by needling them about the contagious flu that has taken over their clubhouse.

Showalter said multiple teams have had to cope with the flu and praised his players for "not broadcasting it to the world."

Since the final week of spring training, the Red Sox have seen Mitch Moreland, Mookie Betts, Brock Holt, Hanley Ramirez, Robbie Ross Jr., Joe Kelly and at least two coaches miss time because of the flu.

"Am I trying to needle the Red Sox? No, that's ridiculous," Showalter said. "But I appreciate you trying to go down that road. That's typical. What else?"

The Minnesota Twins asked that the visiting clubhouse at Comerica Park be fumigated after the Red Sox left Detroit on Monday night. The home clubhouse at Fenway received the same treatment before the Sox began a seven-game homestand Tuesday night.

"The Red Sox are the only ones who have it, huh? I didn't know that," Showalter said. "Nobody else has it? The whole league's got it. It seems to get broadcast more here."