PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia was back in the lineup Sunday for the first time in almost a week, having been sidelined by a case of bursitis in his left hip.
Saltalamacchia started behind the plate and drew a bases-loaded walk in three plate appearances and reported no problems with the hip.
"It's feeling good,'' said Saltalamacchia. "It's honestly just something that flared up a bit. During the season, it would be playable. But in spring training, I didn't want to take a chance of trying to play through a little bit of pain and you walk different and then your knee starts to hurt and it just goes on.
"Monitoring it, there's really nothing you can do except take anti-inflammatories and go.''
Saltalamacchia, 26, joked that hip bursitis usually attacks "old people...Old people and catchers.''
In other health news:
Following an off-day, Carl Crawford will be given clearance to "swing a little more'' than he has in his batting cage workouts, according to Bobby Valentine.
"He may even be allowed to bunt a little while he's swinging,'' said Valentine.
Lars Anderson, scheduled to start at first base Sunday against Tampa Bay, was scratched a couple of hours before game time after he experienced some soreness in his calf muscle.
He's considered day-to-day.