McCutchen breaks rib

Andrew McCutchen has a broken bone in his ribcage two days after being hit by a pitch, but the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder and last year’s N.L. MVP hopes to avoid going on the disabled list.

McCutchen left in the eighth inning of Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Phoenix after feeling pain in his side when he swung at a pitch.

McCutchen said he couldn’t be sure that getting hit by a pitch might have caused the injury but wouldn’t rule it out.

“I don’t know but I’ve taken a million swings and have never felt anything in my side until Sunday,” McCutchen said.

McCutchen was hit in the back by a pitch from Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Randal Delgado on Saturday night.

Though Delgado said the pitch got away from him, the Pirates suspected it was payback for Diamondbacks star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt suffering a season-ending broken left hand a night earlier when hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh reliever Ernesto Frieri.

“I’m not going to play today and I’m not going to play tomorrow but we’ll see after that,” McCutchen said Tuesday.

“Two days ago, I couldn’t even bend down to put my shoes on. Now, I can … get dressed like normal, so I’m getting better.”

While McCutchen was not in the lineup for Tuesday night’s 6-3 loss to the Miami Marlins, the Pirates are waiting before making a decision on whether he needs to go on the disabled list.

Bosch to plead guilty

The former clinic owner accused of selling performance-enhancing drugs to Alex Rodriguez has agreed to plead guilty in what prosecutors called a wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute steroids to both major league ballplayers and high school athletes.

The charges filed Tuesday against former Biogenesis of America owner Anthony Bosch and six others marked one of the biggest salvos yet in a case that has dragged on for nearly two years.

Professional athletes paid up to $12,000 a month for the drugs provided by Biogenesis, while high schoolers paid up to $600 a month. All the clients were promised that the substances would not be found through drug testing, prosecutors said.

Clearing the bases

The Brewers placed RHP Matt Garza on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain. Garza left Sunday’s game against St. Louis after allowing one hit in six shutout innings. … After being denied a promotion, Padres assistant GM A.J. Hinch has left the team in order to look for another job.