MLB Capsules: Padres get Tejada from Orioles
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Miguel Tejada is coming to San Diego, and his new teammates can't wait to get him in the lineup.
The NL West-leading Padres obtained the 36-year-old Tejada and more than $1.15 million from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, convinced that he can help them in the infield and at the plate.
The Padres gave up Double-A right-hander Wynn Pelzer to get Tejada, who is expected to be in uniform on Friday night for a series opener against Florida.
"It's a good chance at being in the playoffs and that's always good," Tejada said in Kansas City, where he was scratched from the Orioles lineup before Thursday night's game against the Royals. "I think we can have a chance to win."
Tejada, the 2002 AL MVP, hasn't been to the playoffs since the Oakland A's made four straight appearances from 2000-03, losing in the divisional round each year. The Padres are trying to win their first division title since winning consecutive championships in 2005-06.
Getting Tejada added to the buzz of beating the rival Los Angeles Dodgers for the second time in less than 24 hours.
"He's about winning. I know that firsthand," said infielder Jerry Hairston Jr., who played with Tejada in Baltimore in 2004. "Whatever he can do to help a ballclub, he's all for that. I'm one of the most excited guys to get him, because I know how he is. He is the perfect guy for this clubhouse. He's not overbearing. He's going to be great for these young guys. One of the best leaders I've ever been around.
"If you look at our lineup now, it's starting to shape out a little bit. We're excited. We really are," Hairston said.
Mark Loretta, a special assistant in the front office, was Tejada's teammate with Houston in 2008.
"He's a threat," Loretta said. "He's not the MVP guy that he once was, but I think he'll be good for morale. It seems like guys are excited, which is part of the plan, too, to reward the team for doing what they've done."
Loretta said Tejada was one of the best teammates he ever had.
"He's just a fun guy to be around," Loretta said. "He really pulled for his teammates, kind of one of those guys that people are drawn to. Funny, plays every day, plays hurt. He's a gamer."
First-year general manager Jed Hoyer envisions Tejada playing some at third base, where Chase Headley has struggled against left-handed pitching, and at shortstop, as well as coming off the bench.
He has appeared in 93 games in the field this season, all at third base, after having played shortstop in each of his previous 1,846 games.
"My role is always to be an infielder. I think they know what I can do," Tejada said.
Manager Bud Black said the Padres will even talk about using Tejada in left field. Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said Tejada mentioned during an interleague series in June that he had played left field some during winter ball.
Black said Tejada's first start will probably be at shortstop. The Padres will have to make a corresponding move to get Tejada on the roster. One possibility would be to demote shortstop Everth Cabrera, whose average has dipped to .199.
"He'll move around for us," Hoyer said. "Part of our strength this year is having a good 25-man roster, not just having a good starting lineup. I think he'll play a lot, but it will be in different spots. It makes us better."
Tejada is hitting .269 with seven homers and 39 RBIs, down from the .313 he hit with Houston last year.
"I think he still has a lot to bring. He's still a tough out," Hoyer said. "We're hoping that getting him in a pennant race and getting him on a winning team can energize him."
Black agreed.
"From what I hear about this guy, he plays with a great deal of passion and energy," Black said, "and I think coming to a situation where we are, and what our final couple of months mean, it can only excite a player."
In 18 interleague games this year, Tejada hit .346 with one homer, eight RBIs and 10 runs scored.
Tejada said it was "an honor to go to play where they want me. But I'm sad because I've loved being here. I've been here a long time and it's like my home. I love being here with these guys. I'm sad but I know this game is a business."
Tejada signed a $72 million, six-year contract with the Orioles in December 2003, playing in Baltimore until being traded to Houston in December 2007 for five players.
A six-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Tejada rejoined the Orioles in January, signing a $6 million, one-year contract.
San Diego will pay $1 million of the $2,163,934 remaining in Tejada's salary. The Padres also will pay the $150,000 assignment bonus Tejada's contract required in the event of a trade.
To fill Tejada's roster spot, the Orioles recalled third baseman Josh Bell from Triple-A Norfolk.
Pelzer was San Diego's ninth-round pick in the 2007 amateur draft. He was 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA at San Antonio this season, and has gone 26-23 with a 3.83 ERA in parts of three seasons.
Twins acquire closer Capps from Nationals
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In the middle of another tight division race, the Minnesota Twins acquired All-Star closer Matt Capps from the Washington Nationals late Thursday night for prized catching prospect Wilson Ramos and minor league left-hander Joe Testa.
The Twins also received cash considerations in the deal.
"The motivation is that this makes us a better club," said general manager Bill Smith, whose Twins trail the Chicago White Sox by 1½ games in the AL Central. "This gives us more depth in the back of that bullpen. Matt Capps is an established, veteran closer who is going to give us a better chance to win our division and advance to the World Series."
Capps is 3-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 26 saves in 30 chances this year for the struggling Nationals, who could make other moves before the non-waiver trading deadline Saturday. Slugger Adam Dunn has been mentioned in several possible deals.
He will immediately move into the closer role that was vacated when Joe Nathan had Tommy John surgery in spring training.
Jon Rauch moved from setup man to closer to fill in for Nathan and performed admirably with 21 saves in 25 opportunities. But Rauch is a pitch-to-contact thrower who does not have overpowering stuff. He was only given one save opportunity since July 11, perhaps a sign that the team's confidence in his capabilities as a closer were eroding. Rauch has a 5.40 ERA in nine appearances this month.
Now he will slide back into a setup role that he excelled in last season after being acquired from the Diamondbacks. He will team with veteran righty Matt Guerrier to give the Twins two experienced out-makers for the eighth inning.
"Jon Rauch stepped up and has been phenomenal for us," Smith said. "This gives us three quality, veteran guys late in the game. I can't say enough great things about what Jon Rauch has contributed to this club and we expect him to continue to be a huge contributor to our success."
It also shows how the Twins' primary focus has shifted somewhat while playing in brand new Target Field. In the last few seasons, the Twins have grown more and more aggressive to build a veteran team that is capable of making a deep playoff run.
They brought in Carl Pavano, shortstop Orlando Cabrera and Rauch last year, three moves that helped the team win its fifth division title of the decade.
But the Twins have only advanced out of the first round in one of those five trips to the postseason, and it's clear there is a sense of urgency now.
This year they added veterans Orlando Hudson, J.J. Hardy and Jim Thome in the offseason to push their payroll near $100 million and now have shipped out one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball to bring in a closer, which is a position that is considered much easier to find production.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire lobbied hard for Ramos to make the team out of spring training after he hit .400 and also impressed with his defensive abilities.
But the Twins, of course, have MVP Joe Mauer entrenched in the catcher spot. Mauer signed an eight-year, $184 million extension in the spring, and Ramos knew his days with the Twins could be coming to an end.
Smith wanted the 22-year-old Venezuelan, who only had 54 career at-bats in Double-A, to get more plate appearances in the minors. He hit .241 with five homers and 30 RBIs for Triple-A Rochester this season.
In his one call-up in May, Ramos went 7 for 9 with three doubles in his first two games before cooling off. He went 1 for his last 18 in the seven-game stint.
"He's a tremendous talent and he's got a bright future," Smith said. "Anytime you're going to get an All-Star closer, you have to give up a good player. It was a tough decision, but one we felt we had to make."
The addition of Ramos to a talented young core led by ace Stephen Strasburg gives the Nationals the flexibility to move slugging catcher Bryce Harper, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, into the outfield.
-- Jon Krawczynski
American League
Surging Twins approach trade deadline usual way
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The All-Star break was a welcomed rest for the Minnesota Twins. It was also quite the revival.
They're only 14 games into the second half, but by outscoring their opponents 97-50 and going 10-4 they've rediscovered their energy and confidence even if the success was perhaps tenuously driven by playing weak teams.
The Twins were a season-high 4½ games out of first place at the break. With five wins in a row, they started Thursday with a one-game deficit behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central division.
"I think everything is starting to click," said catcher Joe Mauer, who in just 12 games since the break is batting .404 with nine doubles, two homers and 17 RBIs.
With first baseman Justin Morneau still recovering from a concussion and second baseman Orlando Hudson joining him on the disabled list with a muscle injury on his side, Mauer wasn't the only one who inflated his stats during a 6-1 road trip against the moribund Baltimore Orioles and the reeling Kansas City Royals. Delmon Young, Danny Valencia and Michael Cuddyer were also notably productive.
Young's surge this month is right on par with some of the best work by his MVP-award-winning teammates in recent years. In 24 July games, he is hitting .439 with six homers, 28 RBIs and a rare-air 1.206 OPS rating — on-base plus slugging percentage — to leap to fourth in the league in batting average and third in RBIs entering Thursday's games.
Last May, Mauer hit .414 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs. In the same month, Morneau hit .361 with nine homers and 29 RBIs.
After more than 1½ underwhelming seasons trying to get on track with the Twins, Young has suddenly slapped his name on the list of AL MVP candidates. Adding a strong final two months of the 2009 season to the first four months of this year gives Young a solid case to present, with a .324 average, 23 homers and 112 RBIs during that span.
"It's good to see a lot of things coming together," general manager Bill Smith said. "We've gotten good pitching. Our offense certainly has been fantastic over the last week. It's been very encouraging. We've got a lot of baseball left to play, and hopefully we'll bring that same level of play back home."
Following their off day Thursday, the Twins face another last-place foe Friday in the Seattle Mariners. Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline is Saturday afternoon, though next month also provides a chance to add players from elsewhere through the waiver process.
The Twins didn't wait to make a bold move. They traded prized catching prospect Wilson Ramos and minor league lefty Joe Testa to Washington late Thursday night for All-Star closer Matt Capps and cash considerations.
Despite a 3.16 ERA by the bullpen, the best in the league, the Twins felt it necessary to beef up their relief corps. Brian Duensing's move to a starting role created a void, and closer Jon Rauch had a 5.40 ERA in nine appearances this month.
Starting pitching had appeared to be the biggest need this summer while Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey stumbled, but with Cliff Lee, Dan Haren and Roy Oswalt now off the market there aren't any top-tier aces left even if the Twins were able to provide the right package in return. Ted Lilly could be a target, if the Chicago Cubs see a deal they like.
With strong starts in the last week by Baker and Slowey and Duensing effectively replacing Blackburn in the rotation, the Twins now don't look in as dire need of help there as they did. Especially with Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano leading the way.
"Our lineup is probably the best lineup that we've had in a couple of years," Smith said. "If we can get Morneau and Hudson healthy that'll be huge for us. Our starting pitching is coming around. Our bullpen has a pretty good track record this season. We like this club a lot, but if we can make this club better we'll do it."
-- Dave Campbell
Orioles hire Buck Showalter as manager
BALTIMORE (AP) — Buck Showalter was hired to manage the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, his latest rebuilding project in a major league career full of them.
Showalter's first game will be Tuesday night at Camden Yards against the Los Angeles Angels.
Baltimore had the worst record in the majors at 31-70 going into Thursday night against Kansas City and is headed toward its 13th straight losing season. The Orioles fired manager Dave Trembley on June 4 and replaced him on an interim basis with Juan Samuel.
"Buck Showalter's proven track record makes him the right choice for manager of the Orioles," president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said in a statement. "We believe Buck's extensive experience and expertise will be a major benefit to us as we look towards a more successful future."
Samuel will return to his job as the team's third-base coach. Baltimore went 16-31 with him in charge.
"It's been a good experience," Samuel said. "These guys played for me hard. I know the record doesn't reflect that, but I thank the guys for that."
The rest of the Orioles' coaching staff will stay intact. Gary Allenson, the interim third-base coach, will resume his spot as manager at Triple-A Norfolk.
Showalter's move was first reported by ESPN, where he worked as an analyst. His last television appearance was on Monday.
"My job with ESPN allowed me to follow this organization closely over the last several years, and although the current record may seem to indicate otherwise, I see enormous potential with this club," Showalter said in a statement released by the team. "I look forward to the challenge of competing in the American League East. Baltimore is a tremendous baseball town with passion and pride in its club, and my family and I look forward to making it our new home."
Showalter is a two-time AL Manager of the Year, winning the award in 1994 with the New York Yankees and 2004 with Texas. Both times, he had taken over teams and guided their turnarounds.
The 54-year-old Showalter also was the first manager in the history of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was hired well in advance and given time to put the Diamondbacks in position to contend once they started playing in 1998. He was fired after the 2000 season, and Arizona won the World Series the next year.
A former minor league player who never made it to the majors, Showalter is known for a strong will and an obsession with fundamentals, details and preparation — he would often sleep in his office when there was a day game following a night game.
"The biggest thing about Buck is that he's the most prepared guy I've ever been around and he doesn't leave a lot of things to chance. I like Buck," said pitcher Kevin Millwood, who played for Showalter in Texas.
Showalter also does not tolerate players acting like stars, even if they are top talents. He feuded with Alex Rodriguez in 2003, when they were together in Texas.
Showalter's last year as a manager was 2006 with the Rangers. His overall record is 882-833 in 11 years.
In Baltimore, Showalter faces an especially tough task.
The once-proud franchise has fallen on hard times since reaching the playoffs in 1997, usually finishing far behind rich AL powers Boston and the Yankees. No one pitcher currently on the Orioles has more than four victories this year and no hitter is at .300.
"It doesn't matter who the manager is, the players are going to have to play better," catcher Matt Wieters said. "We're all going to have to pull together and play better as a team. Maybe this will give us a little bit of a more continuous face at the head."
The Orioles interviewed former major league managers Bobby Valentine and Eric Wedge, ex-Baltimore catcher Rick Dempsey and Samuel before settling on Showalter.
MacPhail wanted to have a manager in place this season, to give the newcomer a better chance to evaluate the talent in Baltimore. MacPhail joined the franchise in June 2007.
Trembley was one of four managers to be fired this year. Kansas City's Trey Hillman, Arizona's A.J. Hinch and Florida's Fredi Gonzalez also were dismissed.
-- David Ginsburg
A's Sheets to have surgery
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Athletics right-hander Ben Sheets plans to have surgery soon on his troublesome throwing elbow, something he believes will increase the chance he could pitch again if he so decides.
It won't be this season. He has a torn flexor tendon in the elbow that will be repaired in the operation.
"It's a good idea to go ahead to give me more opportunities later on," Sheets said in a conference call Thursday.
The same injury forced him to have surgery after the 2008 campaign with the Brewers, then he missed all of 2009. Oakland general manager Billy Beane still took a risk on the four-time All-Star, signing him in January to a $10 million, one-year deal to be the A's ace.
After a second procedure for the same problem, Sheets isn't sure what's next for him in baseball or beyond, but he wants to keep the door open to return.
"When they diagnosed it, I was really shocked," Sheets said. "I didn't have the same type of pain I did two years ago. I thought it was a lesser degree of a strain. I didn't really feel it on any pitch. It was over time. My elbow had never really felt great. I hoped it was starting to come around. That step never really happened."
When he had the injury the first time with the Brewers, Sheets said he was limited in his motions. That's not the case now.
"I couldn't do anything, like brushing my teeth," he said.
The 32-year-old Sheets was placed on the disabled list last week, his seventh DL stint. A's manager Bob Geren announced Wednesday in Texas that Sheets wouldn't pitch again in 2010 — yet the pitcher had yet to discuss the situation until Thursday.
He went 4-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 20 starts and 119 1-3 innings this year. Sheets had been more effective over his last five outings, going 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA.
Sheets' first victory for the A's came in his third start, April 15 against Baltimore, and marked his first win since September 2008.
-- Janie McCauley
DH Hafner scratched from Indians lineup
CLEVELAND (AP) — Travis Hafner has been scratched from the Cleveland Indians' starting lineup to rest his surgically repaired right shoulder.
The veteran designated hitter was replaced by Shelley Duncan to start the final game of a four-game series with the New York Yankees. Hafner has had fatigue in his shoulder the past couple of seasons and is often forced to take a day off.
Since mid-June, Hafner has been one of Cleveland's hottest hitters, batting .449 (13 for 29) over his last eight games. In 25 starts since June 11, he has hit .341 with six doubles, four homers and 11 RBI.
Hafner has been particularly successful at Progressive Field, hitting .324 with seven of his nine homers and 22 of his 33 RBI this season.
Indians starter Talbot leaves with back injury
CLEVELAND (AP) — Mitch Talbot of the Cleveland Indians left his start in the top of the third inning against the New York Yankees with what the team called a mid-back injury.
The right-hander had a 2-0 count on Derek Jeter after Colin Curtis led off the inning with a sharp single through the middle. Talbot walked the bases loaded in the second before grabbing a one-hopper off the bat of Francisco Cervelli and turning it into a second-to-first double play.
Even though Talbot had not allowed a hit over two innings and led 1-0, Rafael Perez warmed up for Cleveland during the bottom of the second and manager Manny Acta came out to talk with plate umpire Jerry Meals before Talbot took the mound to start the third.
Acta and trainer Lonnie Soloff went to the mound to check on Talbot, who then walked off.
Royals call up Holland from Triple-A
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have promoted Greg Holland from Triple-A Omaha to fill the roster spot of outfielder Scott Podsednik, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Royals announced the move before Thursday's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The 24-year-old Holland was 3-3 with a 3.81 ERA and three saves for Omaha. The former 10th-round draft pick out of Western Carolina has been especially good recently, going 1-0 with a 1.10 ERA and 30 strikeouts in his last 10 outings. He's been holding hitters to a .161 average.
Podsednik was traded to the Dodgers on Wednesday for a pair of minor-league prospects. His replacement by Holland means Kansas City is carrying 13 pitchers, including eight relievers.
Sizemore optioned to Triple-A
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Detroit Tigers have made room on the roster for newly acquired third baseman Jhonny Peralta by optioning infielder Scott Sizemore to Triple-A Toledo.
The moves were announced before Detroit's game against Tampa Bay on Thursday.
The Tigers obtained Peralta and cash considerations from Cleveland for minor league left-hander Giovanni Soto on Wednesday.
Peralta will fill in for injured third baseman Brandon Inge (broken left hand).
National League
Nationals RHP Strasburg heads to 15-day DL
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rookie right-hander Stephen Strasburg went on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, the latest indication of how careful the Washington Nationals are being with their prized pitcher.
"They're taking every precaution with me, obviously," Strasburg said.
It's the first trip to the DL for Strasburg, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft and signed a record $15.1 million contract.
"If he's 90 percent healthy, we shut him down," Washington manager Jim Riggleman said. "He's got to be 100 percent."
Riggleman said the team expects Strasburg to pitch again for them this season. It's possible he could begin his road back by playing catch Saturday.
The move to the DL is retroactive to July 22, a day after Strasburg made his last appearance. He was scratched minutes before he was to make his 10th major league start Tuesday, because his right shoulder felt stiff while he was warming up in the bullpen.
An MRI exam taken Tuesday showed Strasburg's shoulder is "totally clean," general manager Mike Rizzo said.
"It's feeling great already. Keep making big strides. So just going to keep getting better, keep getting stronger, and when the time comes, I'm going to be ready to go," Strasburg said.
He's been shut down since Tuesday, resting his shoulder and getting treatment.
Strasburg is 5-2 with a 2.32 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 15 walks in 54 1-3 innings since making his debut for the Nationals on June 8, when he struck out 14 in a victory over Pittsburgh.
The Nationals have said they would end Strasburg's season when he reaches 160 innings between the majors and minors, even if that cap were to come in late August or early September. So far in 2010, his count is at 109 2-3, including the minors, which essentially matches his workload in his final college season at San Diego State: 109 innings.
Riggleman will need to find someone to take Strasburg's turn in the rotation Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Strasburg said he will head out on the road with the Nationals when they travel to play the Diamondbacks and Dodgers from Aug. 2-8.
"We're really looking at only at about eight or nine more days until he'll be able to pitch again," Riggleman said. "We'll probably go another few days after that."
By sending Strasburg to the DL, the Nationals made room on the roster to activate left-hander Scott Olsen, out since May with a shoulder injury. Olsen started Washington's game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
-- Howard Fendrich
Miss Iowa to throw out first pitch at Nats game
WASHINGTON (AP) — Here's guessing the real Miss Iowa will not be booed when she takes the mound at Nationals Park.
Pageant winner Katherine Connors accepted an invitation to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Washington's home game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, a few days after Nationals pitcher Miguel Batista made reference to Miss Iowa as part of a self-effacing joke.
Batista, a 39-year-old journeyman reliever, was pressed into starting Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Braves when rookie sensation Stephen Strasburg was scratched at the last minute because his right shoulder felt stiff while he warmed up in the bullpen.
Many in the sellout crowd of more than 40,000 booed when an announcement over the loudspeakers made fans aware of the switch from Strasburg to Batista.
After pitching five scoreless innings and striking out six batters in what turned out to be a 3-0 victory for the Nationals, Batista said he completely understood why fans had jeered.
"Imagine," Batista said that night, "if you go there to see Miss Universe, and you end up having Miss Iowa — you might get those kind of boos."
He later made clear he hadn't intended to insult the real Miss Iowa, calling Connors "gorgeous" and sending her flowers.
Batista is slated to be at home plate and catch her throw before Friday's game, although a news release issued by the Nationals on Thursday noted, next to an asterisk: "First Pitch catcher is subject to change."
Either way, Batista said he was looking forward to meeting Connors.
"Hopefully by the end of the day, when she goes back to Iowa, she'll say something good about us," he said Thursday. "Hopefully, like, 'Oh, he was a cool guy. He looks like a low-budget Vin Diesel, but he's nice.'"
Asked whether he planned to offer Connors any tips on how to throw a baseball, Batista smiled and said, "Maybe she'll give me pointers on wearing a swimsuit."
-- Howard Fendrich
Rockies president's death due to natural causes
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Investigators have determined that Colorado Rockies president Keli McGregor's death in April was from natural causes, police said Thursday.
McGregor was pronounced dead April 20 after being found in a Salt Lake City hotel room. He was 48.
Salt Lake City police spokeswoman Sgt. Robin Snyder said Thursday that homicide detectives, who investigate all unintended deaths, received the state medical examiner's report this week.
She said no drugs were found in McGregor's system and that the death had been ruled natural, but would not release any other details, including the actual cause of death.
"As far as going any further, that's getting into his medical history," Snyder said. "The family knows and that's how we're going to leave it."
Autopsy reports are not public records under Utah state law. Medical examiner Todd Grey did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press on Thursday.
Denver television station KCNC-TV first reported the medical examiner's findings.
Podsednik bats leadoff in 1st game with Dodgers
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Scott Podsednik is batting leadoff and playing center field in his first game with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Podsednik was obtained on Wednesday from the Kansas City Royals. He took a flight to San Diego on Thursday morning and joined his new team in time for a series finale against the NL West-leading San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers needed help because outfielders Reed Johnson and Manny Ramirez are on the disabled list.
Podsednik says getting traded from a team stuck in last place to a third-place team that's six games behind will "hopefully give me a little more pep in my step."
Podsednik, who was with the Chicago White Sox when they won the 2005 World Series, hit .310 and stole 30 bases for the Royals this season.
Ohlendorf OK morning after taking liner off head
DENVER (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Ross Ohlendorf says he feels fine a day after being hit in the head by a line drive and expects to make his next start.
Ohlendorf says he anticipates being cleared to work out sometime Thursday. He says he feels a little sore.
Ohlendorf was hit on the right side of the face by Troy Tulowitzki's line drive in the first inning Wednesday night at Colorado. He was checked at a local hospital and returned to Coors Field before the Pirates finished their 6-2 win over Colorado.
He says he slept well but was awakened throughout the night by a member of the Pirates' training staff who checked on him.
Ohlendorf is scheduled to start Monday against the Cincinnati Reds.
Rockies' Street available to pitch after injury
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street is ready to pitch after recovering from an abdominal injury earlier this week.
Street was hurt Tuesday when he was hit by a ball off the bat of teammate Ian Stewart during batting practice.
Rockies manager Jim Tracy says Street worked out with trainer Keith Dugger on Thursday morning. He also threw off the bullpen mound and everything felt fine.
Street missed the first 69 games of the season recovering from an inflamed right shoulder. Since his return on June 22, Street has saved six games in seven chances.
Pirates OF McCutchen scratched with sore shoulder
DENVER (AP) — Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen was scratched from Thursday's game with a sore right shoulder. Jose Tabata will start in center as the Pirates go for a sweep of the three-game series with Colorado.
The Pirates say McCutchen is day-to-day. He is hitting .293 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs this season.
