Cardinals P Sonny Gray's start cut short by tight hamstring

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray left his spring training start for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Washington Nationals with tightness in his right hamstring Monday after getting two outs in the second inning.

The three-time All-Star had struck out two in two scoreless innings in his second spring training appearance, and he was cruising at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches before his hamstring tightened up. Gray allowed one hit and struck out one while throwing 20 pitches.

Gray, a 34-year-old right-hander, signed a $75 million, three-year contract with St. Louis to anchor an overhauled rotation that includes fellow newcomer Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn, who returned to the Cardinals after spending the past six seasons bouncing around other clubs.

Gray went 8-8 with a 2.73 ERA in 32 starts for the Minnesota Twins last season, earning his third trip to the All-Star game. He finished a distant second to the Yankees' Gerrit Cole in voting for the Cy Young Award.