In a lot of pain, Prado likely out at least 2 games

MIAMI -- Martin Prado suffered a right shoulder sprain on Sunday in the Marlins' 4-1 loss to the Rockies, and he will likely miss at least the upcoming two-game series against the Yankees at Marlins Park.

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Prado was injured in the first inning after tumbling over first base. An X-ray taken on Sunday came back negative, revealing a sprain of his AC joint. The veteran third baseman will be evaluated by team physicians on Monday, and more on his status will be known later in the day.

"Right now I'm in a lot of pain," Prado said. "For now, it's just day to day. But right now, I've got a lot of pain. We're waiting until tomorrow to see how it feels."

Among the treatment options is to give Prado an injection that will speed the healing process, but it would require him to miss at least two games.

Prado said he's never had a right shoulder ailment. The hope is he can avoid a disabled list stint, but it is likely he will miss at least the home series that begins Monday vs. his former team, the Yankees.

"We just need to get him in tomorrow, let him throw and see what it feels like," manager Dan Jennings said. "Hopefully it will just be minimal soreness, but we won't know that until he gets here tomorrow."

Hustling hard to first after grounding to third, Prado's foot made contact with first baseman Ben Paulsen's glove as he was reaching the base. The Miami infielder rolled hard on the ground and fell on his shoulder.

"The [glove] tripped me, and I lost my balance," Prado said. "I couldn't do anything about it. I hit my elbow and landed on my shoulder."

Prado initially tried to stay in the game, but he walked off the field with assistant trainer Mike Kozak, favoring the shoulder.

"At the moment, I didn't feel like it was that bad," Prado said. "When I rested my arm, I started to feel it. After a couple of minutes, it was getting worse and worse."

Donovan Solano replaced Prado and went 0-for-3. If Prado goes on the DL, Solano and left-handed-hitting Derek Dietrich are possibilities to split time at third base. Jeff Baker also can see action at third. Another possibility is calling up Reid Brignac from Triple-A New Orleans.

Losing Prado for an extended period would be a big blow for the Marlins, because the veteran is productive on the field and a leader in the clubhouse.

"He's such a leader on this team," Jennings said. "In my time, 30 years in the game, he's at the top of the heap in terms of a true professional in how he prepares, what he means inside of that clubhouse, how he handles some of the young players. He's just an awesome teammate. He never wants a day off. He never wants to come out. It's just a case where we need to see exactly where he is tomorrow when he tries to throw. We'll make a decision what's best for him, what's best for us, and go from there."

The Marlins acquired Prado from the Yankees in December, and the veteran had been hoping to face his old club.

"It's kind of upsetting to me," Prado said. "But there are things you can't control in this game. Injuries are part of the game."