Madison Bumgarner breaks hand, will miss at least a month

San Francisco lefthander Madison Bumgarner is hurt for the second straight season. A line drive broke a bone in his pitching hand Friday, and the Giants said he will miss at least a month.

Kansas City's Whit Merrifield drove a ball off Bumgarner's hand during Friday's spring training game in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Giants said X-rays showed he fractured the fifth metacarpal on the outside of his left hand. A pin will be inserted into his pinkie. This was to be his final start of spring training. He was scheduled to start Opening Day.

"It's tough. But I can handle it," Bumgarner said. "These guys can handle it. This obviously was not what I was expecting out of my last start. But it happened and I can deal with it."

This comes after the embarrassment of a dirt bike accident last spring that cost him nearly three months and contributed to his club falling out of contention in a hurry.

After six straight seasons with double-digit wins, more than 200 innings and 30-plus starts, Bumgarner went 4-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 17 starts last season and threw just 111 innings.

Bumgarner and all of the Giants are fueled by an uncharacteristic 98-loss, last-place season. Friday's setback was disappointing.

The Yankees batted slugger Aaron Judge leadoff Friday. Just some spring training fun, right?

No, it was practice. Judge, who hit 52 homers last season, likely will bat there at times in the regular season. It's an appealing option against lefthanded pitchers, because regular leadoff man Brett Gardner batted .209 against lefties last season.

It's the idea of new manager Aaron Boone, and it has the support of General Manager Brian Cashman.

"We have a lefthanded pitcher against us, starting, then you reshuffle the deck," he said. "Who's the best hitters against a lefthanded opponent and how it should look?"

• Boston pitcher Steven Wright accepted a 15-game suspension under Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. He was arrested Dec. 8 during an argument with his wife, but charges were not pursued. He has said he did not make physical contact with his wife during the argument.

• The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw finished spring training with a 0.00 ERA. He stretched his scoreless streak to 21⅓ innings with 6⅔ innings against Kansas City on Friday. He allowed a leadoff single and no other hits.

• All-Star second baseman Daniel Murphy is likely to remain behind in Florida when Washington breaks camp. Murphy had microfracture surgery on his right knee on Oct. 20 and has not appeared in spring training games.