MLB Capsules: Dodgers' Ramirez mum amid reports he's on waivers
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez declined to comment on multiple reports that he's been put on waivers.
Ramirez shook off several reporters over an hour in front of his locker before Wednesday night's game in Milwaukee.
"No, man, I'm good, thanks," Ramirez said.
The White Sox are said to be interested in claiming him for a postseason push if he's available. Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said Tuesday if he were asked by general manager Ken Williams if he wanted Ramirez, he would say yes.
Ramirez was is in the starting lineup against the Brewers and playing consecutive games for the first time since coming off his third trip to the disabled list. Manager Joe Torre said the star left fielder will get Thursday off.
The Los Angeles Times reported Ramirez and teammates Casey Blake, Scott Podsednik and Jay Gibbons have been placed on waivers, a common process toward the end of the year that doesn't necessarily mean any players leave their current teams.
"Waivers are something that are supposed to be something very confidential and I'm certainly not privy to it," Torre said. "It's something that's not supposed to be talked about."
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti declined to comment in an e-mail to The Associated Press, saying he doesn't discuss the process.
This year, Ramirez stopped giving substantial interviews to reporters in the spring. His play has been quiet, too, with right calf and hamstring injuries that have sent him to the disabled list for 58 games this year.
Ramirez is hitless in his last 10 at-bats. He came into Wednesday's game hitting .306 with eight homers and 39 RBIs in 63 games and Torre believes Ramirez wants to stay in L.A. and finish his contract.
"Manny's always expressed that," Torre said. "He's had a tough year with the calf all year long. I think what would help right now is get a few hits in the game and things would feel a lot better for sure."
Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers in 2008 and signed a $45 million, two-year extension in 2009 that included $10 million each season and three payments of $8,333,333 each from 2011-13. The 38-year-old is eligible for free agency in the offseason.
Ramirez has been adored in Los Angeles and his sometimes erratic play coined the phrase "Manny being Manny" in Boston during his 7½ seasons there after eight in Cleveland. He stayed a fan favorite in L.A. even after serving a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy last season.
"Manny's been a good soldier over here and continues to be a good soldier. He's never given me a problem. He's had a tough time here from when he was suspended a year ago because I think initially he was embarrassed by it and he's been trying to work his way back to where he's comfortable again," the manager said.
Torre believes the 18-year veteran had to adjust to no longer being a power hitter, but came into spring training with the right mindset.
"I think once he realized the hitter he is where he may not hit as many home runs, he can still be productive," Torre said. "His setup, everything right now is good, he's just a little bit behind. But he's still, he doesn't talk to you guys, but his personality in the clubhouse is about the same."
Ex-Pirate Jose Bautista: Team didn't spend enough
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jose Bautista doesn't know if the Pirates didn't have the money to spend or simply didn't want to spend the money they had.
Regardless, the major league home run leader is convinced that if the profitable Pirates had invested in players several years ago, they wouldn't be worrying today about ending an 18-year losing streak.
The Pirates were ready to win during the same 2007-08 seasons the club when was making more than $29 million in profits, said Bautista, a former Pirate now with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The team's decision not to spend meant their streak of losing seasons — the longest in major American pro sports history — was bound to continue, Bautista said. Pirates president Frank Coonelly has said the club tried to build a winner by spending on draft picks, scouting, player development and other areas.
"I don't think they did anything illegal or wrong. They made money, they lost games but that's the way the system is right now," Bautista said during an interview in Toronto. "You're able to do both."
Bautista and several other former Pirates players talked to The Associated Press about the disclosure of team financial statements showing the franchise received nearly $70 million in revenue sharing funds while making a healthy profit during those two seasons. At the same time, the Pirates were tearing apart — partly for financial reasons — a roster that included current or future All-Stars Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Matt Capps, Nate McLouth and Bautista.
The players had an unanimous reaction: It's too bad the team wasn't kept together.
"It's a good city and a good sports town," Cubs outfielder Xavier Nady said. "I feel like they deserve a winning team. We had a good group of guys and then they slowly dismantled everybody."
The 2007 Pirates had a productive everyday lineup and bench, yet the starting pitching — Ian Snell, Tom Gorzelanny, Paul Maholm, Zach Duke — was relatively young and untested. The one veteran starting pitcher, Matt Morris, had nothing left and was released after going 3-4 with a 6.10 ERA. The team stayed around .500 until close to midseason, then faded to a 68-94 finish.
"We had a great team on the field. We felt like we could have benefited from improving our pitching staff," Bautista said. "They went with rookies on the pitching staff and that wasn't necessarily a recipe for success. We thought that we could have benefited from getting a couple of good veterans, proven major league starting pitchers. They didn't feel the need to go out and spend that money. For whatever reason, they decided not to and we lost a lot of games."
That season was the first with Bob Nutting as the primary owner, and he brought in Coonelly, a former MLB labor counsel, as president. In turn, Coonelly hired general manager Neal Huntington. Now, three seasons later, the Pirates are fielding a last-place team that may lose more than 100 games.
"It's (bad) for the fans because they're great fans there," said Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan, formerly in Pittsburgh.
Coonelly said those Pirates were dismantled because it was an older team — though no starter was older than 29 — that wasn't equipped to contend. The payrolls were $51 million in 2008 and $50.9 million in 2007, or about $7 million less than this season's.
"We traded aging, veteran players who were approaching free agency for younger players, some of whom came right to the major league level and some of whom went to the minor leagues," Coonelly said. "Young players who were not arbitration-eligible. We had to completely overturn a veteran roster that was unproductive and losing 95 games a year."
Younger players also equate into cheaper players, and Bautista believes Major League Baseball should toughen its rules and force teams to spend revenue sharing money on upgrading their rosters.
"What was surprising is that nobody was really making $15 million or $20 million a year," he said. "We felt like we had a great, affordable starting lineup and ... bench. We just didn't have any starting pitching."
Did the players make management aware of their concerns?
"No, we never had that type of leadership," Bautista said. "Maybe because we just didn't have that type of leader on the team or maybe because everybody felt their voices were not going to get heard anyway."
The players, Bautista said, talked among themselves about the team that could have been.
"Obviously you make comments and you talk about it a little with your teammates. You can't do anything publicly because you don't do that. You can't critique your ownership or your GM publicly, it's not your job," Bautista said.
Bautista was among those Pittsburgh dealt — to Toronto for a backup catcher, Robinzon Diaz, who's no longer with Pittsburgh. The Pirates felt Bautista wasn't the answer at third base and they didn't want to pay him more than $1 million to sit the bench.
Bautista's career took off this season, and he leads the majors with 40 homers for Toronto — 24 more than he hit in any season with Pittsburgh.
Similarly, Capps was cut by the Pirates last winter — they got nothing for him — because the two sides were a few hundred thousand dollars apart in contract negotiations. Capps has a combined 31 saves with Washington and Minnesota.
"You look at the names they traded away, the names that walked away. You wouldn't be human if you didn't dream about what could have been there, especially with that city, the passion, the ballpark there," Capps said. "A winning team in that town would (make for) one of the best places in baseball to play. It's hard not to dream and think about what could have been."
-- Alan Robinson
Strasburg will have 2nd MRI Thursday on forearm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg will have a second MRI exam Thursday to determine exactly what is wrong with the Washington Nationals' rookie ace.
Strasburg was put on the 15-day disabled list Monday with what the team called a right strained flexor tendon in his forearm.
After the initial MRI on Sunday, the team wanted him to undergo a more extensive test including an injection of dye.
"Hopefully the results will be good," Washington manager Jim Riggleman said. "We're just going to have to hold our breath until that time."
Washington will call up right-hander Jordan Zimmermann to take Strasburg's spot in the rotation Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Zimmermann hasn't pitched in the majors this year after having Tommy John surgery last August.
Strasburg is 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings this season. This is Strasburg's second trip to the disabled list. He was placed on the DL last month with inflammation in his right shoulder.
Zimmermann was 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 91 1-3 innings as a rookie last season. He has pitched for Triple-A Syracuse since Aug. 1 after a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
"Everything has been as good as it can be in terms of health and his performance," Riggleman said. "Every precaution has been taken."
The team also announced that outfielder Josh Willingham had surgery on his left knee.
Marlins SS Ramirez dyes hair, drops to No. 3 spot
NEW YORK (AP) — Hanley Ramirez has a new hairstyle — and a familiar spot in the batting order.
Florida's star shortstop tried to dye his dark hair blonde before Wednesday night's game against the New York Mets, but it didn't quite turn out that way. Ramirez's short, curly locks wound up a reddish-orange rust color after the salon experiment in his hotel room.
"It was supposed to be blonde. I did it myself. I think I've got to do it again," Ramirez said with a smile. "I got it too dark."
Ramirez said the new look had nothing to do with baseball — he just wanted to try something different.
Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez also made a notable change Wednesday, dropping Ramirez from the leadoff spot back to the No. 3 hole where he spent most of the season and has excelled in the past.
Cameron Maybin, recalled from the minors Tuesday, returned to the top of the lineup.
"I saw Cameron Maybin swinging yesterday and I'm very pleased the way that he swung the bat. So I met with the staff and (decided) that's the right way to do it," Rodriguez said. "And the other side, it's hard for me to see Hanley hitting with nobody on base. He's an RBI guy, so we made the switch."
The Marlins entered the night 11-14 with Ramirez batting leadoff and 47-47 when he hits third.
As for the slugger's hair, Rodriguez joked that his shortstop now resembles redheaded teammate Chad Tracy.
"That was the turning point. I saw his hair color and knew he was a No. 3 hitter," Rodriguez said, chuckling. "I don't know if he paid for it, but I asked him if they stole his money. ... He looks good. He's in New York and he's having fun."
Standing in front of his locker, Ramirez said he's glad to be back in the No. 3 spot — and he can't wait until teammate Dan Uggla dyes his hair, too.
"I want to hear an opinion from the fans — what do they think? Should I keep it?" Ramirez said.
Ramirez began the day batting .288 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs, a severe drop-off from his NL-best .342 average last year, when he also had 24 homers and 106 RBIs.
Ramirez said if the Marlins go on a 20-game winning streak, he'd consider keeping his new hair color. He said he thought about dyeing his young son's locks, too, but his own dye job stung too much.
-- Mike Fitzpatrick
Dibble takes time off, had criticized Strasburg
WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Nationals announcer Rob Dibble will take some time off two days after making comments critical of rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg.
MASN spokesman Todd Webster said Dibble would not work Wednesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs and is "taking a few days off." Webster said Dibble requested the time off but did not say whether the absence was related to the comments about Strasburg.
Dibble on Monday lashed out at the young pitcher, who has been placed on the disabled list twice in the last month. Dibble said on Sirius XM Radio that "You can't have the cavalry come in and save your butt every time you feel a little stiff shoulder, sore elbow."
The Nationals have been protective of Strasburg, removing him from games when there has been any sign of a possible injury. He is scheduled to have an MRI on Thursday to determine the extent of his latest injury.
Dibble, a former major league reliever, has become known for his off-the-cuff style since joining the MASN booth at the start of last season. He recently apologized for making comments about two women he saw talking nonstop in the stands during a game.
"There must be a sale tomorrow going on here or something," he said, pointing out the women. "Their husbands are going, 'Man, don't bring your wife next time.'"
Phillips leaves game with sore hand
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips left Wednesday's game against the San Francisco Giants an inning after getting hit by a pitch on his right hand from Santiago Casilla in the fifth.
Phillips, who was X-rayed afterward, said his hand was too swollen to determine the extent of the damage.
"I don't know right now," Phillips said of his hand. "All I know is it's messed up. I feel like Professor Klump."
Reds' manager Dusty Baker was hoped the injury wasn't serious.
"We don't know about Phillips," he said. "I hope he's OK."
The All-Star was 1 for 3 with a run scored and stolen base before coming out of the contest. He entered play as the NL leader in hits and runs scored.
Phillips was replaced by Chris Valaika.
The injuries have been mounting for the Reds, who already have six players on the disabled list, including infielder Orlando Cabrera. They are also missing pitchers Mike Lincoln, Aaron Harang, Russ Springer and Jose Arredondo, and outfielder Jim Edmonds.
"This is a team and we have to work together," Reds infielder Miguel Cairo said. "When one goes down, someone else has to step up. That's what separates the boys from the big boys. We have to get to the finish."
Nationals OF Morgan gets 7-game suspension
WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan has been given a seven-game suspension for deliberately throwing a baseball into the stands and hitting a fan during a game last weekend.
Morgan has appealed the penalty that Major League Baseball imposed Wednesday. He will be able to play until the appeal process is complete.
Morgan also was fined an undisclosed amount. The incident occurred in the middle of the ninth inning last Saturday in Washington's win at Philadelphia.
Morgan briefly spoke with reporters after the Nationals' 4-0 loss to Chicago Wednesday, but he said he couldn't talk about the specifics of the incident. He did say he hadn't been expecting a suspension.
"I've just got to wait for my appeals process," Morgan said. "This is brand-new news to me."
Washington manager Jim Riggleman said he didn't know what had led to the disciplinary action.
"Today was the first I heard about it," Riggleman said. "Right before game time it was brought to my attention there was an issue there."
Rockies reliever leaves game with elbow soreness
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Rockies reliever Manuel Corpas was lifted in the fourth inning of Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves after he felt pain in his pitching elbow.
Corpas, who relieved starter Esmil Rogers with two outs in the second inning, gave up a double to Brian McCann leading off the fourth and then stepped off the rubber and motioned toward the Rockies dugout seeking the team trainer's assistance.
After a brief examination and consultation on the mound, Corpas walked off the field holding his right elbow. Reliever Matt Reynolds replaced him.
Corpas went 1 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits, including Omar Infante's home run in the third inning.
Pirates call up Burres to replace Ohlendorf
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have recalled left-hander Brian Burres from Triple-A Indianapolis to replace right-hander Ross Ohlendorf, who went on the 15-day disabled with a damaged muscle in the back of his right shoulder.
Another roster move is possible before Sunday, when Ohlendorf was to have started again.
Ohlendorf (1-11) felt tightness in the shoulder while starting Monday against St. Louis and was removed after throwing eight pitches. An MRI exam revealed no damage that will require surgery, but he may not return this season.
Burres was 2-3 with a 5.62 ERA in 10 games, including seven starts, with Pittsburgh earlier this season. He was 5-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 15 games with Indianapolis.
Drew winds up with home run after replay reversal
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Stephen Drew of the Arizona Diamondbacks wound up with a leadoff home run Wednesday night after umpires used instant replay to reverse the original call at Petco Park.
Drew led off the game against San Diego with a ball into the right-field corner. First base umpire Ted Barrett signaled fair ball as the shot off Padres lefty Wade LeBlanc ricocheted back onto the field and Drew pulled into second base.
The umpires huddled, then went to review video. Replays showed that the ball hit off a seat. It was Drew's ninth home run.
American League
Sox GM shakes off controversy with Guillen's son
CHICAGO (AP) — White Sox general manager Ken Williams shook off another Twitter controversy involving manager Ozzie Guillen's son Wednesday.
The problem involved Guillen's middle son, Oney, a former White Sox employee, who took exception to Williams' decision to go to a comedy club in a northwest suburb of Chicago while the White Sox played a doubleheader at Kansas City on Saturday night.
"Wow. Just saw the sox gm coming out of a comedy club in Schaumburg with a female friend. I guess he didn't c the sox first loss," Oney Guillen tweeted. "Now u know what I'm talking about. In a pennant race and not even watching the game. Laughing at (Carlos) mencia jokes. Don't blame him."
Although Williams takes exception to Guillen's son, Williams said he still has a good working relationship with the manager.
"I care about the dad," said Williams. "I don't think that we were bad. And as we talked in his office, it's been seven years and this year there have been some things that have tripped us up. But it hadn't been like he and I. It's been peripheral things out there, so I don't know that there really needs to be any great worry or concern that we can't continue to be effective."
Oney Guillen had resigned from his job in the scouting department on March 19 after the organization took exception to some of his tweets.
Ozzie Guillen said he can't control what his son says or tweets.
"Listen, Oney is an American citizen. Oney is 20 I don't know how old he is 20 whatever. Oney can tweet whatever he wants. Oney's not part of this organization. Oney is a grown man. Whatever Oney feels about this ballclub is as a fan and people look at him in a different way because he's my kid," said Guillen.
Twins claim Flores off waivers
ARLINGTON (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have claimed Randy Flores off waivers from the Colorado Rockies, and the much-needed lefty will join the bullpen for the AL Central leaders Thursday.
The Twins made the move Wednesday. They also moved left-hander Ron Mahay from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL to make room for Flores on the 40-man roster. Mahay injured his right shoulder last weekend when he stumbled off the mound to field a grounder.
Mahay's injury left the Twins with just one healthy lefty in the bullpen in middle man Glen Perkins.
Manager Ron Gardenhire said Flores was flying to Texas and would be available in the bullpen Thursday night for the series finale against the Rangers.
Flores is 2-0 with a 2.96 ERA in 27 1-3 innings for the Rockies this season. Opponents are hitting just .224 off of him, but he has allowed 22 hits and 13 walks in 47 appearances.
"He knows what he's doing," Gardenhire said. "He has a track record."
The Twins planned to make a roster move after their game Wednesday night to open a spot on their active roster for Flores.
Flores has appeared in 339 major league games since 2002 for Texas, Colorado and St. Louis. He has a career 4.60 ERA.
Thome scratched from Twins lineup with sore thigh
ARLINGTON (AP) — Jim Thome has been scratched from the Minnesota Twins' lineup a day after being hit in the thigh by a fastball.
Manager Ron Gardenhire had Thome as the designated hitter in his original lineup for Wednesday's game at Texas. But that changed because Thome still had soreness in his right thigh.
Thome was a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning Tuesday night when he was struck by a fastball in the upper 90s mph on the first pitch from Texas closer Neftali Feliz. Thome went to first base with no problem and was replaced by a pinch-runner, which would have happened anyway.
Jason Kubel replaced Thome as the DH on Wednesday night. Gardenhire said Thome might be available as a pinch-hitter.
Yankees OF Swisher scratched with sore left knee
TORONTO (AP) — New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher was scratched from the starting lineup Wednesday with a sore left knee.
Swisher fouled a pitch off his knee in the seventh inning of Tuesday's 11-5 win, collapsing to the ground in pain. He took two more pitches before manager Joe Girardi replaced him with Brett Gardner.
Swisher, who is batting .291 with 22 homers and 70 RBIs, took batting practice before Wednesday's game but was still sore. Curtis Granderson moved up from eighth to hit second and Gardner batted eighth. Gardner started in left field, with Austin Kearns moving to right.
Also Wednesday, Girardi said designated hitter Nick Johnson needs another surgery on his injured right wrist. No schedule for the procedure has been announced.
Johnson, out since May 8, appeared in just 24 games with New York this season, batting .167 with two homers and eight RBI. He had surgery in May to repair an inflamed tendon in his wrist. Johnson had been rehabbing at the Yankees' spring training facility in Florida when he suffered a setback.
Left-hander Damaso Marte, who has not pitched since July 7 because of a sore shoulder, was too sore to throw a bullpen session Tuesday and will get extra time off before he pitches again, Girardi said. Marte is 0-0 with a 4.08 ERA in 30 games.
Francona, Beltre ejected in 3rd inning
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona and third baseman Adrian Beltre have been ejected from their game against the Seattle Mariners.
They were thrown out Wednesday by plate umpire Dan Bellino between the second and third innings of the second game of a day-night doubleheader.
Beltre had taken a called third strike from Felix Hernandez for the second out of the bottom of the second and stood at home plate for several seconds questioning the call. When Beltre took his position in the field, Bellino, standing near home plate, ejected him. Beltre raced in and catcher Kevin Cash got between him and Bellino.
Francona stayed on the field and continued arguing before and after he was thrown out.
White Sox place Thornton, Putz on DL
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox have placed relievers Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz on the 15-day disabled list, leaving their bullpen a bit short on experience.
They recalled right-hander Lucas Harrell from Triple-A Charlotte and reinstated lefty Erick Threets from the disabled list following a rehab assignment with the minor league club before Wednesday's game against Baltimore.
Thornton, an All-Star, was placed on the DL retroactive to Aug. 18 because of inflammation in his left elbow. He is 3-4 with a 2.66 ERA and leads AL relievers with 66 strikeouts.
Putz, who left Tuesday's game against the Orioles because of right knee tendinitis, is 6-5 with a 2.68 ERA.
Elsewhere
Woman with Mexican flag, man run onto field
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A woman with a Mexican flag and a man ran onto the field at Petco Park while the Arizona Diamondbacks were batting against the San Diego Padres in the third inning Wednesday night.
The two apparently were protesting Arizona's immigration law. Both were quickly apprehended by security and led off the field. The man ran onto the field from the stands along the first base line and was tackled in foul territory. The woman ran into shallow left field.
They ran onto the field just after Joe Saunders grounded out to open the inning.
There were dueling protests outside the downtown ballpark before the game, with one group favoring the law and the other opposing it. Several police officers kept an eye on the protesters.
