Arizona Diamondbacks' A.J. Pollock fractures elbow on headfirst slide

Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star center fielder A.J. Pollock fractured his right elbow on a headfirst slide into home plate on Friday night and will need surgery.

Pollock, playing his first game since being sidelined due to elbow soreness, was injured in the Diamondbacks' 7-4 spring training victory over the Kansas City Royals in Phoenix.

Arizona manager Chip Hale told reporters that Pollock will undergo surgery and there is no timetable for his return.

"We feel awful for A.J.," Hale said Friday night. "We're a family. It's like one of your family members taken away from you right now.

"With his (earlier elbow) injury, he had one thing we worried about was him diving headfirst, putting his hand down when he landed. There was too much stress there."

Pollock was on third when David Peralta hit a grounder to second base. Omar Infante threw home but Pollock slid headfirst, evaded the tag and then grabbed his right elbow area in pain.

Pollock, 28, hit .315 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs last season and made his first career All-Star Game.

The Diamondbacks will open the season on Monday against the Colorado Rockies and Pollock seemed set to be in the lineup.

"He felt great," Hale said. "He was happy to be out there, he was excited about being out there again. He read a line drive and kind of got stuck in the middle. The competitiveness in you is to go in hard and try to score."