Baseball Capsules: Braves retire Greg Maddux's No. 31

ATLANTA — On the day the Atlanta Braves retired Greg Maddux’s number, his former manager Bobby Cox led the praises.

"I get asked by managers and press people all the time, how good was he?" Cox said. "Was he the best pitcher I ever saw? Was he the smartest pitcher I ever saw? Was he the best competitor I ever saw? Was he the best teammate I ever saw?

"The answer is yes to all the above."

Maddux was always grouped with Tom Glavine and John Smoltz as the team’s most dominant starting pitchers. Maddux said his former teammates also deserve their places in the team’s history.

"When you talk about Atlanta pitching, there’s always three names you mention, there’s never just one," Maddux said Friday.

Many predict each of the three are bound for baseball’s Hall of Fame. Glavine, released by the Braves last month, has not announced his retirement. Smoltz is in his first season with the Boston Red Sox.

The 43-year-old Maddux was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame at a luncheon attended by about 900 fans. He had his No. 31 retired Friday night before the Braves played the New York Mets.

"Now Greg, it is yours forever," said team president John Schuerholz, pointing to the jersey in the pregame ceremony.

Maddux’s jersey was painted on the field behind home plate, and the number was unveiled on the outfield facade.

"Thank you, and let’s beat the Mets tonight," Maddux said.

Cox directed the Braves’ run of 14 straight division championships from 1991-2005. Maddux joined the staff in 1993, the first of his 11 seasons in Atlanta.

Maddux won the 1992 NL Cy Young award with the Chicago Cubs and then won three straight with the Braves from 1993-95, becoming the first to win four straight. Glavine won two Cy Young awards in the 1990s and Smoltz won one.

"The three of us were able to do something pretty special," Glavine said in a video message to Maddux. Glavine said he, Smoltz and Maddux created "at least pretty good speculation" about forming the greatest pitching trio in baseball history.

Schuerholz, who as general manager signed Maddux after the 1992 season, said there is "no doubt, no question" that Maddux is the greatest right-hander he has seen.

Maddux, who retired after pitching for San Diego and the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, ranks eighth in career wins with 355. He won 15 or more games a record 17 consecutive seasons and won 18 Gold Gloves.

Maddux was 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA in 1995, when the Braves won the World Series.

"As a broadcaster I used to watch and think that’s not the best fastball, that’s not the best curveball, that’s not the best slider and not even the best changeup, but that’s the best pitcher in the game," Don Sutton said.

Sutton said in his 44 years around baseball he has seen such great pitchers as Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver.

"None of them ever gave me the thrill and joy of watching a game like watching you did," Sutton said to Maddux. "It was a remarkable experience."

Maddux appeared stunned by the compliments.

"It was very humbling, very exciting," he said. "If I had known I was that good, I’d probably still be playing."

Maddux insisted the speakers at the luncheon were "forced to say something nice." He acknowledged the praise from Cox was special.

"It was nice to hear," Maddux said. "I have a lot of respect for Bobby. It meant a lot coming from him."

Former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone said he and Cox rarely had to visit the pitcher they called "Mad Dog" on the mound. Mazzone said Maddux once complained "It gets lonely out there" and asked that Mazzone come out to the mound in the sixth inning.

"Sure as heck in the sixth inning he’s got a three-hit shutout going and he gets the first guy out and then he’s looking in the dugout," Mazzone said. "Bobby goes ‘Leo, Mad Dog is looking for you. Go out there and find out if he’s OK.’

"I go running out there and he said ‘How you doing coach?’ I said ‘Hey, Mad Dog.’ He said ‘How do I look?’ I said ‘You’re doing a great job. You’ve got a three-hit shutout.’ He says ‘OK, well it was nice talking to you,"’ Mazzone said.

Maddux is the sixth Braves player to have his number retired, joining Hank Aaron (44), Eddie Mathews (41), Dale Murphy (3), Phil Niekro (35) and Warren Spahn (21). The Braves and all major league teams also retired Jackie Robinson’s No. 42.

Niekro and Murphy attended the ceremonies.

It was the second time Maddux’s 31 was retired this season. Maddux and Ferguson Jenkins, who each wore No. 31 for the Chicago Cubs, were honored together in May.

Cubs LF Soriano out with swollen right pinkie

WASHINGTON — Chicago Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano says he dislocated a finger and isn’t sure when he’ll return to the lineup.

Soriano was scratched for Friday night’s game at Washington because of a swollen right pinkie.

"We’ll see how he feels tomorrow," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "I think it’ll probably be a few days. I don’t think this thing will just go down in one day."

Soriano said he got hurt Thursday night when he was thrown out diving into first base during a 6-2 win over the Nationals.

"The problem is it’s swollen," Soriano said. "It’s very big, and I cannot even grab the bat."

Soriano’s hand was wrapped with ice in the clubhouse. He said he hoped the swelling would go down enough for him to play Saturday.

The Cubs may have another player out Saturday. Ted Lilly is scheduled to pitch, but Piniella said the left-hander has been bothered by pain in his left knee after his last two starts.

"I’m not positive if Ted is going to pitch tomorrow," Piniella said.

If Lilly is unable to pitch, Piniella said right-hander Randy Wells, who is scheduled to start Sunday, will be pushed up a day.

Khalil Greene to begin rehab assignment

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals said troubled infielder Khalil Greene has been sent to Double-A Springfield on Friday to begin a rehabilitation assignment.

Acquired by St. Louis in an offseason trade with the San Diego Padres, Greene was placed on the disabled list June 29 for the second time this season due to social anxiety disorder. He initially went on the 15-day disabled list on May 30 to try and cope with the matter.

After returning to the team June 18, Greene had his brightest stretch of the season, homering in three straight games and driving in five runs during a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals June 19-21.

However, he went into a 1-for-20 tailspin after that before being placed on disabled list again.

In 47 games, Greene is hitting .200 in 130 at-bats with five home runs and 19 RBIs.

Lilly to miss Saturday start with soreness in knee

WASHINGTON — The Chicago Cubs have scratched left-hander Ted Lilly from his scheduled start Saturday.

Manager Lou Piniella said Lilly has been bothered by soreness in his left knee after his last two starts, and the decision was made to give him the extra days of rest. Lilly should be available to start Monday at Philadelphia, Piniella said after the Cubs beat Washington 3-1 Friday night.

Right-hander Randy Wells will be pushed up a day to replace the All-Star. Piniella said right-hander Kevin Hart would start Sunday to close out the Cubs’ series at Washington.

Hart is currently with Triple-A Iowa and the Cubs will need to make a move to add him to the 25-man roster.

Brewers RHP Bush gets MRI exams

CINCINNATI — Brewers right-hander Dave Bush got MRI exams on his right arm and shoulder to try to determine why he felt fatigue in his last rehab start.

The Brewers didn’t have results after the tests were conducted on Friday in Milwaukee. Manager Ken Macha said they might get word on Saturday.

Bush went on the disabled list June 23 because of a small tear in his right triceps. He made his second rehab start on Wednesday for Double-A Huntsville and felt tiredness in the arm during his three innings.

The Brewers were hoping to have Bush back in the rotation next week, but that’s highly unlikely now. Right-hander Mike Burns could keep his spot in the rotation. Burns is 2-2 with a 5.54 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance.

Reds call up INF Sutton, demote RHP Roenicke

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds have called up infielder Drew Sutton to help their injury-depleted bench.

To make room for Sutton, the Reds optioned right-handed reliever Josh Roenicke to Triple-A Louisville on Friday. Roenicke didn’t have a decision in 10 appearances, putting up a 2.92 ERA.

Sutton was called up on July 1 and appeared in three games, going 0 for 4, before he was sent back down a week later.

The Reds’ lineup has been hit hard by injuries. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez had surgery June 22 to clean out his throwing elbow, right fielder Jay Bruce broke his right wrist while trying to make a catch last Saturday, and outfielder Chris Dickerson has been bothered by back spasms.

American League

Red Sox activate Lowell, add Buchholz, cut Lugo

TORONTO — The Boston Red Sox activated third baseman Mike Lowell off the 15-day disabled list and promoted right-hander Clay Buchholz from Triple-A Pawtucket to start Friday night against Toronto.

To make room on the roster, Boston designated shortstop Julio Lugo for assignment and optioned first baseman Aaron Bates to Triple-A.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein also said the team had been discussing a contract extension for outfielder Jason Bay and made him an offer last week. Unable to reach a deal, the two sides agreed to shelve talks until after the season.

The AL East-leading Red Sox scratched center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury from the starting lineup for the series opener because of illness. Rocco Baldelli started in his place.

The 35-year-old Lowell, batting .282 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs, has not played since June 27 because of a sore right hip. The 2007 World Series MVP missed last season’s ALCS against Tampa Bay and had arthroscopic surgery on the hip last October. He also had an injection in his hip on June 29.

"I’m just really excited," Lowell said. "I feel good. This will be a nice first test, turf and everything. We’ll see how it goes."

Manager Terry Francona said Lowell looked comfortable during a workout Thursday.

"He moved around really well last night, better than we’ve seen in a long time," Francona said.

The Red Sox have 10 days to trade or release Lugo, who signed a four-year, $36 million free agent contract with Boston before the 2007 season. If the team cannot trade him, it will have to absorb about $13 million over the next year and a half.

Epstein called Lugo’s contract "a mistake" and "a lesson learned."

"Obviously we’d be bending the truth to say it worked out the way we envisioned," Epstein said. "He just never got on track here, never got locked in and comfortable and never played even close to the way we expected. When you dabble in free agency, sometimes these things happen."

Lugo was batting .284 with one homer and eight RBIs in 37 games and had made seven errors. While he didn’t attend Thursday’s mandatory workout, that’s not why he was let go. Infielder Jed Lowrie is expected to return Saturday after having wrist surgery in April and will share time at shortstop and third base with Nick Green.

"We felt like those two would be our best combination," Epstein said.

Bay, batting .260 with 20 homers and 72 RBIs, is eligible for free agency at the end of the year. The Red Sox negotiated with Bay during spring training, then suspended talks after the season began before picking them up again in mid-June.

"It’s now clear that this round of talks won’t result in a deal, either," Epstein said. "We’re going to table discussions again, once again as a mutual decision and pick them up, most likely, after the season.

"There’s disappointment," he said. "Both sides want this to work. We were really hopeful with the aggressive offer that we made that we could have reached a deal now."

Bay said he is not committed to testing the free agent market and was willing to remain in Boston if the offer was right.

"I’m not really in the market, I’m not trying to set a precedent," the All-Star left fielder said. "I’m just looking for something that’s fair."

Buchholz, 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA at Triple-A, made his first start for Boston since Aug. 20, 2008. He was demoted to Double-A Portland the following day. He pitched a no-hitter for Boston in 2007.

Mitre to become Yankees’ No. 5 starter

NEW YORK — Sergio Mitre will become the Yankees’ No. 5 starter while Chien-Ming Wang is on the disabled list.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said the team plans to bring up Mitre and start the 28-year-old right-hander against Baltimore on Tuesday night.

Mitre agreed to a minor league contract with the Yankees during the offseason, then was suspended for the first 50 games after testing positive for a banned substance under the major league drug program.

He was 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts for Class A Tampa and 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, pitching eight scoreless innings with five strikeouts and no walks in a 3-2 win over Buffalo on Sunday.

Mitre pitched for Girardi when he managed the Marlins in 2006 and went 5-8 with a 4.65 ERA in a career-high 27 starts for Florida the following year. He missed the 2008 season and had elbow-ligament replacement surgery on July 15 last year.

"He’s a sinker, curveball, changeup guy," Girardi said Friday. "He’s sinker’s probably 88-91 (mph). He’s going to throw a lot of strikes; he’s going to get a lot of ground balls when he’s throwing the ball well. I’ve always thought he’s had kind of a bulldog attitude."

Wang, on the disabled list since July 5 with a right shoulder strain, probably will play catch on flat ground Sunday or Monday.

Alfredo Aceves filled in for Wang with a spot start at Minnesota on July 7 and gave up four runs and four hits in 3 1-3 innings of a 6-4 win. He is 5-1 with a 2.49 ERA in one start and 21 relief appearances.

"Ace is going to stay in the bullpen because we feel that he’s just too valuable to take him out of the bullpen right now," Girardi said.

Phil Hughes, who made seven starts before switching to the bullpen on June 8, will stay in a relief role unless another starter gets hurt. He has become Mariano Rivera’s primary setup man and has lowered his ERA from 5.45 to 3.91 since moving to the bullpen. But he hasn’t thrown more than 27 pitches in an outing out of the ‘pen.

"He’s adapted very well. To me, he’s actually throwing more strikes down there," Girardi said. "His velocity’s went up. I thought his curveball has gotten better and more consistent."

-- Ronald Blum

Twins recall Mulvey, Casilla from Triple-A

ARLINGTON — The Minnesota Twins have recalled right-hander Kevin Mulvey and second baseman Alexi Casilla from Triple-A Rochester.

Minnesota made the moves Friday before playing at Texas in the Twins’ first game after the All-Star break. To make room on the roster, the Twins optioned third catcher Jose Morales and infielder Matt Tolbert to Rochester.

Mulvey, who came to Minnesota before the 2008 season in the deal that sent Johan Santana to the New York Mets, provides bullpen depth after going 3-6 with a 3.93 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 17 starts at Triple-A.

Minnesota carried only 11 pitchers the last few weeks before the break.

Rays bring Balfour off bereavement list

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Right-hander Grand Balfour was reinstated from the bereavement list by the Tampa Rays on Friday.

To make room on the roster, catcher John Jaso was optioned to Triple-A Durham. Balfour (3-1) returned home to Australia on Sunday after the death of his grandfather.

KC OF Guillen late from Dominican, out of lineup

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Royals right fielder Jose Guillen was not on hand for Kansas City’s game against Tampa Bay on Friday night because he was late getting back from the Dominican Republic.

Manager Trey Hillman said Guillen was delayed because his son was ill at their home in the Dominican. Hillman said Guillen, who is hitting .243 nine homers and 37 RBIs, was expected to be in the lineup for Saturday night’s game.

Minor Leagues

6 minor league players suspended for drugs

NEW YORK — Six minor league players were suspended for 50 games on Friday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Five of the players were in the Dominican Summer League. On Thursday, five other DSL players drew 50-game penalties

Milwaukee pitcher Cody Adams of Class A Wisconsin was suspended for taking an amphetamine. The 22-year-old righty, a second-round draft pick in 2008, was 3-6 with a 5.93 ERA in the Midwest League.

The DSL players suspended were pitchers Billis Andujar and Jose Encarnacion of Detroit, Carlos Rosario of the Chicago White Sox, Aristedes Santos of Kansas City and Jorge Serra of Toronto.