Brian Roberts was back at second base for the Baltimore Orioles, throwing his body around without any fear of getting hurt again.

Playing for the first time since a gruesome elbow injury last September, the All-Star leadoff hitter went 0-for-3 during a 6-5 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But he was happy to make solid contact at the plate, and he never looked hesitant.

“If I was going to go out there, I was going to go full bore,” Roberts said. “It wouldn’t do any good for me to go out there and swing 70 percent and try to guide the ball somewhere.

“If you’re going to do it, you might as well attack it with all you’ve got.”

In the third inning, Roberts made an awkward dive in short right field, lunging for a ball that had caromed off first baseman Javy Lopez’s mitt. He lay outstretched for an instant before instinctively grabbing the ball and firing a throw too weak to get a runner trotting across home plate.

Roberts rubbed his sore left wrist, which got caught under him when he tumbled, and made eye contact with right fielder Jay Gibbons.

“If I didn’t blow out on that one, I ain’t blowing out, I guess,” Roberts said. “I was a little scared. I looked up at Jay to make sure everything was still attached.”

Roberts hit .314 with 18 homers and 67 RBIs – all career highs – last year. He dislocated his left elbow in a collision with Bubba Crosby of the New York Yankees on Sept. 20 and needed reconstructive surgery, but still intends to be in Baltimore’s opening-day lineup April 3.

Roberts thinks his first spring game should answer any doubters.

“I told him after the first two at-bats that he was swinging as good as he did when he left,” Gibbons said. “His swings were really good.”

At Fort Myers, Fla., David Ortiz and Wily Mo Pena made impressive spring training debuts for the Red Sox. So did David Wells, for three innings anyway, in Boston’s 9-7 loss to Tampa Bay.

Ortiz homered, and Pena singled in his first at-bat.

Wells faced just one batter above the minimum through three innings, then allowed three runs and four hits in the fourth.

In other spring training games:

Marlins 8, Dodgers 6

At Jupiter, Fla., Miguel Cabrera hit his first spring training homer, and Florida roughed up Aaron Sele.

Indians 5, Reds 2

At Sarasota, Fla., Grady Sizemore’s second triple capped a four-run sixth, and Cliff Lee pitched five solid innings for Cleveland.

Phillies (ss) 5, Pirates 2

At Bradenton, Fla., Chase Utley hit a two-run homer.

Phillies (ss) 7, Tigers (ss) 4

At Clearwater, Fla., Gavin Floyd made his second strong start of the spring, and Pat Burrell homered for Philadelphia.

Angels 9, Rangers 0

At Surprise, Ariz., Chone Figgins went 4-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBIs. Tim Salmon hit his first home run of the spring, and Jose Molina also connected for the Angels.

Mariners 5, Diamondbacks 4, 8 innings, rain

At Peoria, Ariz., Adrian Beltre homered in his first at-bat for Seattle this month, and fellow regulars Raul Ibanez and Richie Sexson also connected.

Brewers 4, Cubs 4, 6 innings, rain

At Mesa, Ariz., Sean Marshall made a bid for the fifth spot in Chicago’s rotation with three scoreless innings. Chris Capuano worked five innings for Milwaukee, giving up six hits and four runs.

Athletics 6, Giants 4

At Scottsdale, Ariz., Milton Bradley hit a two-run homer and a double for Oakland.

Padres 10, White Sox 7

At Tucson, Ariz., newly acquired reliever Matt Thornton struggled in his Chicago debut.

Tigers 10, Astros 7

At Lakeland, Fla., Brandon Backe became the latest pitcher to get tagged by Detroit this spring. The Tigers roughed him up for nine runs and 10 hits, including four homers, in 41â3 innings.