PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Shortstop Matt Duffy might not be ready for Opening Day after all.
Duffy underwent season-ending surgery on his left heel on Sept. 9. Earlier in camp, he noted that he expected to be playing in exhibition games by the middle of March. Now that won't be the case.
Drill work -- specifically, drills in which he took ground balls -- was aggravating Duffy's heel, and that proved to be counterproductive to the work he was doing to strengthen the injured area, which is the top priority in his recovery. So about a week ago, the team made an adjustment to his regimen.