MLB Capsules: Arizona talking Haren trade with Yankees, others
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona president Derrick Hall has confirmed that the New York Yankees are among "a few teams" in discussions with the Diamondbacks about a possible trade for right-hander Dan Haren.
But Hall told The Associated Press on Friday night that there is no front-runner and other clubs have made offers that are "of at least equal value" to what the Yankees are proposing. He said no trade is imminent.
Haren has emerged as one of the most sought-after starters as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches. He is in the second season of a four-year, $44.75 million contract with a club option for a fifth year.
Though their deep rotation has been a strength all season, the Yankees seem intent on trying to acquire a front-line starter. They came close to landing lefty ace Cliff Lee two weeks ago before Seattle traded him to AL West-leading Texas. Since then, 38-year-old New York lefty Andy Pettitte went down with a groin injury and is expected to be sidelined until at least mid-to-late August.
Sergio Mitre is set to take Pettitte's spot in the rotation — for now.
The Yankees, who have the best record in the majors, want to limit young right-hander Phil Hughes' innings this year and might be thinking about returning him to the bullpen in the postseason. Hughes flourished as a setup man last season and Joba Chamberlain has struggled in that role this year.
New York also could be concerned about starting A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez in pressure-packed games. Both have struggled badly at times this season. And the big-budget Yankees certainly don't want the best available pitchers on the trade market going to their top American League competitors.
Haren's name was off his locker and most of his gear was gone before Friday night's game against San Francisco, but it turned out to be a practical joke by his teammates.
Still, a deal might not be far behind as Arizona looks to build for the future and, although team officials insist that's not the goal, dump a significant portion of its payroll. Haren is due to make $12.75 million each of the next two seasons with a club option for $15.5 million in 2013. If the option is not picked up, Haren is due a $3.5 million buyout. His contract also includes a list of teams to whom he could veto any trade.
When asked about reports that Arizona was close to a deal with New York, Hall said via e-mail that, "They are one of a few that we are in discussions with." Then he went on to indicate the Yankees' offer wasn't the best the Diamondbacks had received.
Haren is 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA for the last-place Diamondbacks, but he entered Friday night tied with Florida's Josh Johnson for the NL lead in strikeouts at 141. Always among the best in strikeout-to-walk ratio, he has walked just 29 batters this season.
However, Haren also leads the majors in hits allowed (161) and is second in the NL to teammate Rodrigo Lopez in most home runs allowed (23).
It's an off year by Haren's standards. He is 86-70 with a 3.71 ERA for St. Louis, Oakland and Arizona.
The Diamondbacks acquired him from the Athletics in the offseason after Arizona finished with the NL's best record in 2007 and made a surprise run to the NL championship series. The pitching duo of Brandon Webb and Haren was supposed to be one of the most formidable in baseball. But the team has headed downhill, finishing last in the NL West in 2009 and mired there again this season. Webb hasn't pitched since the 2009 season opener because of a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery.
Haren, on the other hand, has been among the game's most durable pitchers with at least 33 starts and 216 innings each of the past five seasons. He has made 21 starts this year and was fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting last season. Since he came to Arizona, he is 37-26 with a 3.56 ERA.
Haren's next scheduled start is Tuesday at Philadelphia.
American League
Mariners' dugout fight sets new season low point
SEATTLE (AP) — Add fighting among themselves to the Mount Rainier-high list of problems the Seattle Mariners have right now.
Friday night's 2-1 loss to Boston brought a new, most unseemly low: a mid-game fight in the dugout between benched second baseman Chone Figgins and manager Don Wakamatsu.
The brief but intense scrum included: a shouting match across the length of the bench; pushing between players and coaches who were trying to intervene; one Mariner climbing over others and lunging toward Figgins; the starting pitcher in the middle trying to make peace; and third baseman Jose Lopez having his jersey pulled off his back.
An irate Figgins spent the last few innings stewing inside the clubhouse. Veteran clubhouse leader Russell Branyan went back there to talk to Figgins. Branyan was glad to see Figgins hadn't left the stadium during the game, as Milton Bradley had done after Wakamatsu benched him during a game in May.
The second-year manager said Figgins will not be suspended for the insubordination. Figgins left the ballpark before reporters were allowed into the clubhouse. General manager Jack Zduriencik was in nearby Tacoma watching his Triple-A team Friday night and will take up the issue on Saturday.
The last-place Mariners sunk to a season-low 23 games under .500 with their 16th loss in 20 games. What should their fans be thinking about a last-place team that is now fighting among themselves in the dugout?
"With the way we've been playing, it'd be hard to convince any fan to come out and watch us play. Because it hasn't been pretty," Branyan said. "But on the other hand, we're working hard. Guys are trying too hard."
Figgins, who's been struggling mightily all season in the first year of a $36 million, free-agent contract, was standing near second base as Boston's Mike Cameron was pulling into second on a double into the left-field corner leading off the fifth. Figgins inexplicably let the throw from Michael Saunders, which sailed over cutoff man Jack Wilson, bounce a few feet to his left and then dribble past the bag without moving toward it. Cameron alertly went to third on another boneheaded play by the Mariners in a week full of them.
After the top of the fifth, Wakamatsu benched Figgins — something many fans thought he should have done with the .229 hitter months ago.
"I didn't think there was much effort in that backup, and I made the decision to take him out of the ballgame," Wakamatsu said.
Asked why he benched Figgins then and not numerous other Mariners for their many mental mistakes and lack of effort in recent weeks, Wakamatsu said Figgins' laziness "was cut-and-dry."
An argument then broke out in the Mariners' dugout between Figgins at the far end and Wakamatsu, who was closer to the plate-side of the bench. A ball girl passing in front of the dugout stopped and watched the scene with her mouth agape. While Figgins was shouting and Branyan was interceding, Lopez was between the two. Lopez was pushed back away from a teammate toward the far end of the dugout by several Mariners, primarily hitting coach Alonzo Powell.
Starting pitcher Jason Vargas, who had been quietly celebrating stranding Cameron at third, suddenly found himself among those trying to separate combatants.
Lopez got his game jersey pulled off his back in the rumble. He stayed in the game — with his jersey on.
"What people have to understand is, everybody in that dugout cares. And tempers fly a little bit," Wakamatsu said, without detailing what happened. "What happens in there stays in there."
Minutes later, Wakamatsu lifted Figgins for pinch-hitter Josh Wilson. He immediately doubled, something Figgins has done just once since June 2.
"I was trying to keep people from getting hurt," Vargas said. "It was a crazy game. ... Eventually that's going to happen with how frustrated we've been. But we've all got to get along these last couple months."
Josh Wilson hopes the fight somehow unites this divided team.
"When you play on a team underachieving like we do, there's a lot of tension," he said. "A lot of times, this can help, it's a release.
"Hopefully it leads to some better communication and we can move on."
-- Gregg Bell
Red Sox 2B Pedroia doing more on broken foot
SEATTLE (AP) — The battered Boston Red Sox are slowly making their way back.
Dustin Pedroia is hitting indoors and taking grounders outside, the next steps to the second baseman returning from a broken left foot.
The 2008 AL MVP, who has been out since June 26, played catch on the field without his walking boot hours before Boston welcomed recuperated right-hander Josh Beckett back to its rotation on Friday night against Seattle.
Manager Terry Francona said the Red Sox hope to have Pedroia looked at by a doctor in Southern California early next week during a series at the Los Angeles Angels.
Boston's doctors want to examine Pedroia when the team returns home on Thursday before deciding whether to accelerate his recovery plan.
"They keep saying he's unique. Maybe he is," Francona said of Pedroia's healing powers.
Pedroia is hitting .292 in 73 games.
The Red Sox entered Friday 10-11 without their No. 2 hitter and two-time All-Star, and seven games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East.
Bill Hall, who has been filling in at second base, made a crucial error in the ninth inning Thursday night trying to rush his throw to first base on what could have been a game-ending double play. Seattle's two tying runs scored on the play, completing a five-run rally that sent the game into extra innings. Boston ultimately won in 13 innings.
Francona praised the veteran Hall, who also homered Thursday, for doing "a pretty good job" in Pedroia's absence. But the manager added, "You can't replace Pedroia. That's just not how it works."
Catcher Victor Martinez, who has been on the disabled list since June 28 with a fractured left thumb, is scheduled to catch Saturday's bullpen session of Clay Buccholz — who himself returned from the disabled list this week following a strained hamstring.
Martinez has already caught knuckleballer Tim Wakefield with the injured thumb, which is broken at the tip. If he's able to handle Buccholz's increased velocity with the padded glove the team has rigged for him, Martinez could return soon.
Jacoby Ellsbury, the speedy leadoff man who has played in only nine games because of broken ribs, was forced to hit inside because of rain in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday while working out with Boston's rookie league team there. He may start a minor-league rehabilitation assignment next week.
And third baseman Mike Lowell joined Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday on his way back from a strained right hip that's had him out since June 23. He is playing a four-game series at Columbus this weekend. Francona said Lowell is scheduled to stay with Pawtucket through another four-game set next week at Toledo. The Red Sox hope Lowell can play in six of the eight games at Triple-A before he might return.
-- Gregg Bell
Leyland only wants trade that is big upgrade
DETROIT (AP) — Jim Leyland is only in favor of a trade-deadline deal for his Detroit Tigers if it makes the team significantly better.
"For us to do something, give up a pretty good young player or players, it would have to be someone who we all felt would be a big difference maker," the manager said.
Leyland said that player could be a hitter or pitcher.
With the July 31 non-waiver deadline a week away, Leyland said Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski always solicits his input about any players Detroit might be interested in or any possible deals.
Leyland said he told Dombrowski that he didn't favor making a deal that would make Detroit "only a little bit better."
"But that's not my area of expertise. I manage. I don't make deals," Leyland added.
Detroit's game Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays was postponed due to rain and will be made up Sunday as part of a day-night doubleheader. The opener is scheduled for 1:05 p.m., with the makeup game at 6:05 p.m.
Shaun Marcum had been slated to start Friday night for Toronto against Detroit right-hander Rick Porcello. Both pitchers were pushed back to Saturday night, though more rain is expected.
Marcum (8-4, 3.36 ERA) was removed from his start Sunday at Baltimore after five innings because of a blister on his finger.
Brett Cecil will start the first game Sunday for the Blue Jays against Jeremy Bonderman. Jesse Litsch goes in the nightcap against Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga.
Detroit (50-44) began Friday in a second-place tie with Minnesota in the AL Central, two games behind the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers have won two straight following a seven-game losing streak.
Not surprisingly, Leyland said the key to Detroit's postseason chances lies in the middle of the diamond.
"If we get consistent starting pitching, we have a shot," he said. "If not, we don't."
It began raining just as the Tigers were completing batting practice Friday a little after 5 p.m. The Blue Jays did not take batting practice on the field.
"It happens sometimes," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. "I've seen it many days."
Choo back with Indians
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shin-Soo Choo doesn't want to spend another minute this summer watching the Indians — or reruns — on TV. He's off the couch and on the field.
The Indians' best all-around player, Choo was activated from the disabled list after being sidelined since July 3 with a sprained right thumb.
"I really missed playing baseball," the outfielder said before the Indians opened a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. "Sitting and watching on TV is really tough. I really wanted to do something for the team and I couldn't."
Choo injured his thumb while diving for a fly ball in a July 2 game. For a while, it appeared he might have to undergo surgery. But he made a remarkably quick comeback and was in manager Manny Acta's lineup on Friday, batting third and playing right field.
"It's nice to have him back," Acta said. "He's another threat to our lineup. He gives us stability, and he can do more than just hit."
The Rays came in hoping to snap a 17-game losing streak in Cleveland. It will be tougher to end now that Choo's back.
"He's one of the best players in the league," Tampa manager Joe Maddon said. "He's a complete player and when I managed the All-Stars last year, I tried to figure out a way to get him on the team. He plays all aspects of the game and plays them very well."
Choo's injury was both a blow to the Indians and it cost him a spot on the AL's All-Star team. When he went down, Choo was batting .286 with 13 homers, 43 RBIs and 12 steals. His return will drop switch-hitting catcher Carlos Santana into the cleanup spot for the first time.
Choo said his thumb isn't completely healed, but he doesn't expect it to cause him any trouble.
"I don't feel anything," he said. "It's not like normal."
To make room for Choo, the Indians placed left-hander Aaron Laffey on the 15-day DL with "shoulder fatigue." Laffey underwent an MRI that did not show any structural damage, and team doctors are hoping rest will help. He has complained about his arm being "tired" and his fastball was several miles per hour slower in his last start on July 19.
Acta would not speculate on a timetable for Laffey's return.
"As long as it takes," he said. "I'm not good at medicine at all."
Laffey, who has bounced between the bullpen and rotation and Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus this season, is 2-3 with a 4.62 ERA in 25 games. He was the Indians' scheduled starter for Sunday, an assignment that will now go to Justin Masterson, who is being pushed back.
Laffey's spot will not come up again until Tuesday against the New York Yankees, but Acta would not say who he'll use against the defending World Series champions.
Among his options are Carlos Carrasco, David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez, who won his major league debut last week before being sent down.
-- Tom Withers
DeJesus to have thumb surgery, recall Gordon
NEW YORK (AP) — David DeJesus will have surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right thumb and the Kansas City Royals outfielder will miss at least 10 weeks.
DeJesus sprained his right thumb crashing into the fence in center field Thursday night in Yankee Stadium, a play that resulted in an inside-the-park homer for Derek Jeter. The Royals initially called the injury a sprain Friday when he was placed on the disabled list. But DeJesus saw a specialist in Cleveland and it was determined he would have surgery Monday.
"We lost two pretty good hitters yesterday," Royals manager Ned Yost said of DeJesus and Alberto Callaspo, who was traded to the Angels on Thursday for right-hander Sean O'Sullivan and a minor league pitcher.
DeJesus was batting .318 with five homers and 37 RBIs this season and was the subject of trade rumors as the July 31 deadline approached.
"He's had a great year, at a really high level," Yost said. "An all-around player of his caliber is rare."
The Royals recalled outfielder Alex Gordon from Triple-A Omaha on Friday and inserted him into the lineup as the right fielder against the Yankees.
Gordon was sent to Ohama in early May to convert him to an outfielder. Gordon's glove at third base was considered a plus when he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2005 out of Nebraska. But has made 44 errors in 329 major league games at third, including four in 10 games this year.
The 26-year-old Gordon was hitting .315 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs in 68 games for Omaha. He practiced playing balls off the wall in right field earlier Friday.
Kansas City also designated Anthony Lerew for assignment to make room for O'Sullivan, who will make his second start in five days Sunday against the Yankees. On Tuesday, O'Sullivan gave up two hits and two runs in six innings in his first start of the season for the Angels.
"He's going to have to make adjustments, like (the Yankees) are going to have to make adjustments for him," Yost said.
O'Sullivan posted a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings for the Angels. The 22-year-old was one of the Angels' top pitching prospects.
"Just take it one pitch at a time," he said about facing the Yankees again.
Orioles activate 2B Roberts from 60-day DL
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Orioles activated second baseman Brian Roberts from the 60-day disabled list Friday and put him in the starting lineup against the Minnesota Twins.
Roberts hasn't played in the majors since April 9. He was sidelined by a strained abdominal muscle and a herniated disk in his back. His return was delayed by a series of epidural shots for his back and a bout with pneumonia.
Roberts was back in his customary leadoff spot Friday night after participating in the first four of Baltimore's 95 games.
"These guys are probably exhausted and it is like opening day for me," he said. "I'm looking forward to just getting out there and playing. It has been a long time."
The two-time All-Star has been lobbying since Monday to return, and the team complied with Roberts' request after his abbreviated three-day rehab assignment with Double-A Bowie.
"I just told them I was ready, and at that point it was their decision," Roberts said. "They knew I wanted to play but obviously they also have the best interests of myself and other guys on the team as well. So I think they just had to weigh all those options."
The Orioles hesitated because they didn't want him to play in Toronto, Baltimore's destination after Sunday's game against Minnesota.
"We were trying not to have him back so we wouldn't take a chance and have him play on the turf in Toronto, but he stated that he's ready to go and that we feel like he knows his body better than anybody else," interim manager Juan Samuel said.
"At the same time we want to be a little bit careful. We will probably play him a couple days here, give him a day off, probably play him the first game in Toronto see how he feels," Samuel said.
To make room for Roberts on the 25-man roster, the Orioles designated utility infielder Scott Moore for assignment. The decision came down to Moore or veteran Julio Lugo, the only player on the team with extensive experience at shortstop behind starter Cesar Izturis.
"We wanted to keep somebody who would give us a hand at short and Lugo was that guy," Samuel said. "We talked to Scotty Moore and he understood that situation."
-- David Ginsburg
O's Wigginton suspended for 3 games and fined
BALTIMORE (AP) — Orioles first baseman Ty Wigginton received a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for "making contact" with an umpire during an argument in Thursday night's game against the Minnesota Twins.
Wigginton says he will appeal the ruling, which was rendered by Major League Baseball on Friday.
"The way I look at it, I got thrown out of the game," Wigginton said. "They chose to suspend me and now I have the right to appeal."
The punishment stems from a confrontation between Wigginton and umpire Gary Darling following a call at first base.
Darling ruled that J.J. Hardy got back to the bag on an aborted attempt to steal second. Wigginton threw off his cap and yelled until he became red in the face, stopping only after interim manager Juan Samuel forcefully pulled him away.
As he walked off the field after being ejected, Wigginton tossed the ball into the stands.
Replays showed Darling missed the call, and the umpire confirmed that after the game, saying, "He missed him the first time and on a close play, he got him the second time, it looked like."
Wigginton's punishment, according to a release issued by Bob Watson, Vice President of On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, was "for his inappropriate actions, which included making contact with umpire Gary Darling."
Wigginton said, "It wasn't like a definite bump. I feel like if I bump someone, they're going to move back. ... If I did and didn't realize it, my bad. But I think it was more of a brush if anything."
The fine, Wigginton said, was "more than I was expecting."
Wigginton could recall being ejected from a game only once, and said he never has been suspended before. Had Wigginton not appealed, the suspension would have started on Friday night.
Samuel and pitching coach Rick Kranitz were also ejected.
Samuel said Wigginton's tirade probably stemmed from frustration over having another call go against the Orioles, who own the worst record in the majors.
"I think it's the first time I've seen Wiggy like that. We thought he was out and it was one of those that went against us. And there's just many that have gone against us," Samuel said. "I think guys have probably gotten sick of that because we are basically not getting a whole lot of breaks."
-- David Ginsburg
Athletics sign C Kurt Suzuki to 4-year contract
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kurt Suzuki and the Oakland Athletics agreed to a four-year contract Friday that locks up the catcher through his arbitration years.
The deal replaces Suzuki's previous 2010 contract and includes a club option for the 2014 season. The option year is the first year Suzuki would be eligible for free agency.
"Since the day Kurt got here, beyond being an outstanding player, he's been an outstanding leader and a quality guy off the field as well," A's general manager Billy Beane said. "He's the type of player you'd like to invest in. We actually started this process in the spring and started bringing up the idea. Sometimes it takes a little longer."
Full terms of the deal were not revealed, but Suzuki hinted at the price tag while talking to reporters.
"If you look $16 million in the face and turn it down, to me, you're crazy," he said. "This is what I work hard for — not just for the money part — but to be in the big leagues. Working hard, doing everything you can in the offseason ... keeping yourself strong to be able to perform at a high level. It pays off and you get rewarded with a contract like this."
The 26-year-old Suzuki is a key part of Oakland's future. He has led AL catchers in games started the past two seasons and became only the second catcher in franchise history to lead the team in RBIs with 88 last season.
He was hitting .257 with 37 RBIs and a team-leading 10 home runs in 68 games this year, numbers Beane believes will increase.
"I don't think it's out of line to think that Kurt can be a 20-plus homer (guy) and he's probably going to be in the Gold Glove conversation as well," Beane said. "With a contract like this comes a certain amount of personal responsibility. Up to this point, Kurt's been a model citizen."
San Jose mayor wants ballot measure on A's stadium
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says a proposed ballot measure on a stadium in San Jose for the Oakland Athletics is premature.
Selig said Friday he was "disappointed" to hear that Mayor Chuck Reed wants to put a measure on the November ballot to approve a stadium for the team. Major League Baseball has yet to decide whether the club can relocate.
Selig says a committee looking into the move will meet with him again Monday.
The A's need the approval of baseball and other team owners to move to San Jose because the San Francisco Giants hold territorial rights to the area.
But the mayor said Thursday he will ask the City Council to approve a ballpark measure for the ballot regardless of where the process stands.
Seattle's Bedard getting 3rd opinion on shoulder
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners left-hander Erik Bedard is headed to New York to get a third doctor's opinion on why his pitching shoulder is still bothering him.
The Mariners announced Friday that he will be examined by Dr. David Altcheck next week to get another view of his treatment options.
Bedard received undisclosed opinions this week on an MRI from Mariners medical director Dr. Edward Khalfayan and Dr. Lewis Yocum, who repaired Bedard's torn labrum in surgery last August.
Bedard was to make his season debut earlier this month following a successful minor-league rehabilitation stint but he experienced more pain in the shoulder.
Bedard said this week he doesn't expect to pitch at all this season. He was limited by injuries to 15 starts in each of his first two seasons with Seattle.
Swisher out of Yanks lineup with sore heel
NEW YORK (AP) — Right fielder Nick Swisher was a late scratch from the New York Yankees' lineup because he woke up with a sore left Achilles' heel.
Swisher was initially set to bat second Friday, but when he arrived at Yankee Stadium before the game against the Kansas City Royals he told the teem his heel was hurting. He says he couldn't figure out when he hurt it.
Swisher says he is available to pinch hit.
Colin Curtis will take his spot in right field and bat ninth. Brett Gardener was moved from the No. 9 hole and will bat leadoff. Derek Jeter moved from first to second in the order.
National League
Phillies fire hitting coach as offense struggles
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Phillies manager Charlie Manuel dismissed hitting coach Milt Thompson on Friday and replaced him with Greg Gross, hoping to jump start an offense that's been struggling for nearly two months.
Gross has been with Triple-A Lehigh Valley for the past three seasons, and Double-A Reading before that. He was the hitting coach for former Phillies manager Larry Bowa from 2002-04, and played for World Series teams with Philadelphia in 1980 and 1983.
"I looked at our hitting and thought something had to be done," said Manuel, a former hitting coach with the Cleveland Indians. "If you would have told me we would have hit this way, I would have argued with you forever."
Thompson had been Philadelphia's hitting coach since 2005, when the team finished second in the National League in runs. The offense has been a big reason that the Phillies have been such a success the past few seasons, leading the league in runs in 2006, '07 and last season.
"Milt didn't swing a bat for us, didn't chase those balls in the dirt or take fastballs down the middle. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever made," Manuel said. "He's a good friend of mine, but at the same time, I felt we had to try something."
Injuries to Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz have hurt the team's consistency this season. Philadelphia ranks just 12th in the NL in batting (.254) and on-base percentage (.322) and sixth in runs, and have been held to one or less 23 times in 95 games.
"You don't expect anybody to be out," Polanco said before Friday night's game against the Colorado Rockies. "We've been around long enough to know what we're supposed to be doing."
The Phillies entered Friday trailing Atlanta by seven games in the NL East, after leading by five games on May 17. Philadelphia has a reputation for charging back in September, as they did against the Mets in 2007 and '08, and Manuel reminded his players of that Friday.
"When we see how our at-bats are, I think we need more focus, more preparation," Manuel said. "We need to go back and play baseball the Philly way. We had it and it's gotten away from us. It doesn't mean that changing the hitting coach will bring that part back, but I felt like we need a new person. Something like that might make a difference.
"I talked about out team. We have 67 games to play," Manuel said. "I've seen us make up seven games in 17 games and win our division (in 2007). All we have to do is get back to playing baseball like we can, or the way that we've played before."
Moyer hopes to return to the mound this season
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jamie Moyer stood at his locker Friday afternoon, speaking of pitching again not retirement.
Faced with the possibility of a career-ending elbow injury, the 47-year-old left-hander said he owes it to himself to try everything to return to the pitching mound this season.
"That's my goal," he said. "But without a full diagnosis — I think that's only fair — but the competitor in myself, I want to pitch. If my arm doesn't allow that to happen, it's not going to happen. I believe I'm going to make some sort of a, I don't want to say comeback, but I'm going to make some sort of attempt to get back out there."
Moyer left his July 20 start in St. Louis when he strained his left elbow after making a pitch. He is headed for the disabled list — likely on Saturday — and is in having tests to determine the severity of the injury.
"It's best until all the testing is done," Moyer said. "Without all the testing, I don't feel it's appropriate to comment on something halfway through. I know it's a strain. I think it's my flexor pronator (forearm) and it sounds like it's a sprain in my ulnar collateral (ligament), but I think we're going to do some further testing to determine the severity of the sprain."
Moyer has made 686 appearances in a 24-season big-league career, starting 628 games. He is 267-204 for his career, and was 9-9 this season with a 4.84 ERA. He started Game Three of the 2008 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
While he prefers not to think about the inevitable end to a storied run — Moyer knows he will eventually have to walk away from the game he made he debut with on June 16, 1986.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it, but I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking about it, because I'm not there yet," he said, holding back tears. "It's one of those situations that you don't want to have happen, but if it happens, it happens. There's nothing I can do about it. I can't turn back and change anything. I feel like I can look myself in the mirror and know that if that was my last outing, so be it. I've given it my best and I enjoyed my career. At this point, I'm not looking at it as that being the case.
"I'm still under contract, so I feel obligated to make every effort to allow this to heal and give myself that chance to pitch. (But) when it's over, it's over."
Nationals leaning toward bringing back Riggleman
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Washington Nationals are leaning toward bringing back manager Jim Riggleman next season. They haven't made it official, though.
"There's nothing officially been announced that Jim's going to manage next year," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Friday night. "He deserves to be the manager next year. I have all the faith in the world in him. He's a terrific manager. We expect him to be here for a long time."
The Nationals are 42-55 and last in the NL East following their 7-5 loss to Milwaukee on Friday night.
Riggleman was promoted from bench coach to interim manager midway through last season, replacing the fired Manny Acta in July. The Nationals were 26-61 (a .299 winning percentage) at the time and went 33-42 (.440) under Riggleman, finishing with a seven-game winning streak.
"He runs the game itself extremely well. He's got extreme respect here in the clubhouse, runs a good tight ship, but people respect him and like to play for him," Rizzo said.
While the team finished with a major league-worst record of 59-103 last season, there was a sense that Riggleman's pregame fielding drills and postgame clubhouse talks were helping the young players on a rebuilding team.
Riggleman was hired full-time in the offseason and agreed to a one-year contract with a club option for 2011. Rizzo said a decision is not imminent, and contract terms are not the issue.
"We're not going to make any estimations when we're going to do it," he said. "It's something I'd like to work on. Jim and I have been talking throughout the season. We'll talk with ownership and see where it leads us."
The Nationals are the fourth team Riggleman has managed, following the Padres, Cubs and Mariners. His best season was 1998, when the Cubs won an NL wild-card tiebreaker over the Giants and made the playoffs. They lost to Atlanta in the division series 3-0.
"I love managing, period," Riggleman said. "This is what I want to do. For me, if I get the opportunity to manage the Nationals or if it's my last job in baseball, it would be a real thrill for me."
He said he hopes to stay on, but realizes that how the team does the remainder of the season means a lot.
"We have a lot of season to play," he said. "Hopefully, I'll be worthy of coming back."
Nats put Atilano on DL, Detwiler to start Sunday
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Washington Nationals have placed right-hander Luis Atilano on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 21, because of bone chips in his pitching elbow.
Nationals senior vice-president and general manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement Friday night before the Nationals opened a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Atilano, a 25 year-old rookie, is 6-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 16 starts this season.
Ross Detwiler, a 24-year-old left-hander, will be called up from Triple-A Syracuse and start on Sunday in place of Atilano.
Detwiler was 2-2 with a 2.48 ERA in seven starts for Syracuse.
It will be his third stint with Washington. He was 1-6 in 14 starts last season.
Johnson hits for cycle against San Francisco
PHOENIX (AP) — Kelly Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks became the third player this season to hit for the cycle with an eighth-inning leadoff single against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
He hit a solo home run in the first, doubled in the fifth and tripled in two runs in the sixth. He clinched the cycle, to the cheers of what was left of the crowd, with a line drive to right field on an 0-1 pitch from right-hander Sergio Romo.
Johnson joined Bengie Molina of the Texas Rangers and Jody Gerut of the Milwaukee Brewers as players to hit for the cycle this season. It was the fourth cycle by an Arizona player in the franchise's 13-year history.
Johnson reached base a fifth time when he was hit by a pitch in the third.
Mets manager Jerry Manuel ejected
LOS ANGELES (AP) — New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel has been ejected in the second inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Manuel was ejected Friday night after arguing a call by first base umpire Doug Eddings, who ruled Luis Castillo out. Replays showed Castillo's foot was already on the bag before shortstop Rafael Furcal's throw reached the glove of James Loney.
Manuel came on the field and gestured wildly at Eddings, who tossed him out. It was his third ejection of the season.
Bench coach Dave Jauss took over as manager.
The Mets entered the game having lost four straight and were 1-7 on their 11-game West Coast trip since the All-Star break.
Mets call up RHP Manny Acosta from Triple-A
NEW YORK (AP) — Right-hander Manny Acosta has been called up by the New York Mets.
Acosta went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 games with the Mets from April 21-May 22. He allowed eight hits and eight walks with 14 strikeouts in 12 innings. Acosta didn't allow any runs in his last seven appearances.
He had 36 strikeouts in 36 1-3 innings with Triple-A Buffalo.
The Mets said Acosta would be available for Friday's game at the Dodgers.
Hart hurts right wrist, X-rays negative
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers right fielder Corey Hart injured his right wrist when he crashed into the wall down the first-base line chasing Christian Guzman's fly ball in the third inning of Milwaukee's game against Washington Friday night.
Milwaukee manager Ken Macha and assistant trainer Dan Wright went out to check on Hart who threw three warm-up tosses before deciding to finish the inning. Jim Edmonds pinch hit for Hart in the bottom of the third and then replaced him.
X-rays were negative, but he'll undergo an MRI on Saturday according to the Brewers.
Hart tripled and scored on Ryan Braun's sacrifice fly in the first.
Minor Leagues
Scientist criticizes HGH test for minor leaguers
NEW YORK (AP) — A scientist who has worked to develop a urine test for human growth hormone says the blood test baseball plans to use for minor leaguers can only detect the substance for 6 to 12 hours.
Don Catlin said Friday that the test, announced a day earlier by baseball commissioner Bud Selig, is of limited use. In February, a British rugby league player became the first athlete suspended following a positive HGH test.
"The fact that it's been around for a few thousand tests and only one positive suggests that either there's much less growth hormone being used than we thought, which is doubtful, or the period of detectability is really pretty short — a few hours. It's probably the latter," said Catlin, adding detection probably would work only with "middle-of-the-night testing."
Players with minor league contracts will be given the blood test, which Selig called "a significant step."
Victor Conte, whose Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative triggered a federal investigation of steroids use and distribution among athletes, also criticized the blood test. He said it would detect little and called it "flawed" because baseball will collect only postgame blood samples.
"It wouldn't take much of an IQ for a player to circumvent this proposed HGH testing procedure," he wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "A baseball player could possibly inject HGH as soon as leaving a ballpark and test negative from a blood sample collected postgame the following day. HGH injections are routinely done at night before bed, so a morning blood sample would be the target. The available test for HGH requires a random blood collection protocol to be considered anything more than a PR move by MLB."
Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president of labor relations, said baseball was taking whatever steps it could.
"We are using the best available technology for the detection of HGH," he said.
Gary Wadler, who leads the World Anti-Doping Agency committee that determines the banned-substances list, said any test is better than none. Plus, he said HGH likely will be detected by it.
"It's not the kind of drug you take once and now you get tested weeks later, it's gone," he said. "Sure, it will be gone. But that's not how you use it. You use it, you basically take it every day. So the detection window becomes less important in something you take on a regular basis."
And he argues testing will make athletes think harder about using.
"It does work. It is a deterrent," he said. "Even though it's not anywhere near where we are with steroid testing, it's sufficiently developed and validated to say it should be incorporated into anti-drug testing."
Because no independent data on the HGH test has been published, no steps have been taken toward implementing it for unionized players on 40-man major league rosters. The current drug plan and labor contract run until December 2011, but the Major League Baseball Players Association has said it would agree to a validated urine test for HGH.
"I think they're starting it in the minor leagues to make sure there are no flaws," said San Diego pitcher Heath Bell, the Padres player representative. "If it was a urine test, I think we'd be all for it. And if it's a blood test, you can't tell a guy who's going to pitch nine innings or play nine innings, 'Here, I need a little vial of blood first,' because some guys get a little queasy."
Minnesota Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer said minor leaguers would be guinea pigs for the test.
"That's how it's always been," he said. "But at the same time, if it helps us get to a point where you test, I'm all for it."
Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon predicted use of the test eventually will expand to the big leagues.
"I think it is a wise decision to start there," he said. "I believe that eventually it will progress to this level — after we make sure we work out all the kinks. We have to find out what works, what doesn't."
Catlin was critical of WADA for not allowing independent analysis of the HGH test.
"I can't go to the literature and read a scientific article that gives me the data," he said. "WADA will have that, but they don't display it. So I think the only way we are ever going to see if it an athlete chooses to contest a positive test result, and then they'll have to show it to pursue or to prevail in court."
The current isoform test scans blood for synthetic HGH. Wadler said there soon may be a marker test that could be used in conjunction with the first one, similar to how testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio tests are used in conjunction with carbon isotope tests to detect the difference between natural and artificial testosterone.
Catlin abandoned his attempt to develop a test based on mass spectrometry and amino acids because not enough HGH was present in urine. He needs a commitment of $1 million to $2 million to attempt to develop a urine test based on aptamers, molecules that act similar to antibodies. His abandoned test received $900,000 in funding.
He said it would take about three years to create the new test, and he hasn't yet started discussions with MLB and the NFL on whether they would like to fund the study.
Validity of any test is a chief concern.
"There can be a lot of backlash because of a false test that gets out and all of a sudden a player is labeled and he never did anything," Pirates manager John Russell said. "That's tough to get over. So I think the integrity of how they do it is going to be the main thing. If they can do it where it's proper and it's done the right way, I'm sure it will get in."
-- Ronald Blum
Elsewhere
Uecker back in the booth after heart surgery
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bob Uecker is back in the booth with a fixed-up ticker. His sense of humor never changed.
A fit and trim looking Uecker held a 30-minute press conference Friday to discuss his recovery from heart surgery.
"I'm ready to rock and roll," he said.
The 75-year-old broadcaster underwent surgery April 30 to replace his aortic valve, aortic root and part of his ascending aorta, and had a coronary bypass, too.
He said that he felt great, but admitted that his two doctors, Alfred Nicolosi and Jim Kleczka, might not agree.
He joked that they let him return because he promised they could throw out a ceremonial first pitch as the Brewers play the Washington Nationals on Friday night.
"I hope they do better than they did on my incision," he said.
His doctors, who expected him to be out 10 to 12 weeks following surgery, want him to be cautious and still are treating him for a staph infection he later developed. He can't resume playing golf or swimming. Uecker also underwent heart surgery in 1991 and made a full recovery in five weeks.
Against his doctors' wishes, he may travel with the team, but only to nearby parks and depending on how he feels.
"If I have a problem, I will not travel," he said. "I want to get back and do what I was doing before. I feel better. I really do feel better."
He didn't flinch when he was asked about how tough it's been to see the Brewers struggle.
The Brewers, 10 games behind St. Louis in the NL Central, have split the first two four-game series since the All-Star break. However, they just can't seem to shed the growing funk caused by poor starting pitching, lack of clutch hitting, some spotty defense and trade rumors involving Prince Fielder and Corey Hart.
"It's nothing that I haven't seen before, and it's nothing that can't be rectified," he said. "I'm the eternal optimist."
Brewers manager Ken Macha said that he was glad Uecker was back.
"He has a way of grounding me," Milwaukee's skipper said. "He has a good perspective on things."
Uecker, in his 40th year behind the microphone, plans to call the entire six-game homestand, three with the Nationals and three with Cincinnati. In 2003, he entered the broadcaster's wing of the Hall of Fame and earned the 2003 Ford C. Frick award.
OC trial postponed for alleged Adenhart killer
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A judge has delayed the trial of a man accused of second-degree murder in the crash that killed Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people last year.
The trial for 23-year-old Andrew Gallo of San Gabriel was scheduled for Monday in Orange County but that's been pushed back to September.
The change was granted Friday after Gallo's lawyer said she needed more time to prepare an expert witness.
Gallo's minivan struck a car at a Fullerton intersection in April 2009. The 22-year-old Adenhart was out with friends after pitching six scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics in nearby Anaheim.
Authorities say Gallo's blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit.
He's pleaded not guilty to three counts of second-degree murder.
Bonds trial likely to start next year
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It appears Barry Bonds' long-running criminal case may not go to trial until next year.
The legal team for Major League Baseball's home run king, the government lawyers prosecuting him and the judge overseeing the 3-year-old case were unable to set a definitive trial date Friday. They agreed to reconvene on Aug. 6 to try again.
Bonds has pleaded not guilty to lying to a federal grand jury in 2003 when he denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston told the lawyers her courtroom only was available for trial in September this year. But Bonds' lawyers ruled out September, making an early 2011 trial likely instead.
Small wildfire burns hills next to Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A small brush fire that burned in the hills next to Dodger Stadium north of downtown Los Angeles has been contained.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devin Gales says it took 69 firefighters just under an hour to contain that blaze that broke out late Friday afternoon. It burned three acres.
The blaze produced a big plume of smoke visible from downtown freeways and to fans about to watch the Dodgers take on the New York Mets.
No structures were threatened and no damage or injuries were reported.
