GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Raisel Iglesias has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right elbow and will resume throwing in four days, Reds manager Bryan Price said Wednesday, which has put the reliever's status for Opening Day in doubt.
Iglesias underwent an MRI exam this week which revealed the bone bruise. Fortunately, there was no structural damage to the elbow.
"The good news is that it doesn't look like it's going to be a huge setback or that there's any structural issues at all," Price said. "The negative is the fact that he's going to have four more days off before he begins to throw again and we'll have to see how comfortable we are by Opening Day or maybe before that on his readiness."
Iglesias has not pitched since being held out from a Minor League game on Saturday. Price said "it was kind of a mystery injury" that may not have been baseball related.
"From my understanding, the soreness wasn't related to throwing, it was related more to a contusion that he sustained at home," Price said.
Iglesias should not be at risk of exacerbating the injury once he resumes throwing, Price said. However, he's now working against the calendar with less than two weeks until Opening Day, April 3, against the Phillies at Great American Ballpark.
"There's obviously some other issues we'll have to discuss around this in regards to the probability of his readiness for Opening Day," Price said.
Hamilton dealing with Achilles inflammation
Billy Hamilton was held out of the lineup again Wednesday, the result of Achilles inflammation, Price said. The center fielder has not played since Saturday, though Price would like Hamilton to serve as the designated hitter in a game on Thursday.
Price downplayed the injury and said Hamilton is still on track to play center over the weekend against the Cubs in Las Vegas.
"Again, something probably during the season that he probably could have grinded through it," Price said. "Right now, if everything goes OK, I'll probably DH him [Thursday] just so he can kind of work his way back in, get some at-bats and then he's still on schedule to go to Vegas and play center field in Vegas. So I don't think at this point in time that's at risk."
Austin Laymance