"This is just a soft-tissue injury," Cashman said. "It's not a tear. It's got nothing to do with the rotator cuff. It's not a serious injury. The reason he needed a cortisone shot is that we brought him back too soon. He pitched one inning the day he was activated. He pitched two innings the next day. And in retrospect, three innings in two days was probably too much too quick."

But the Yankees took plenty of time to make sure Rivera didn't rush back the second time. And they expect him to be a major factor again this October, even if they don't plan to use him for more than an inning. That's a major departure, though, of how Joe Torre has used him. Of Rivera's 23 consecutive postseason saves before Game 7 last November, 19 were of more than three outs.

Before Milton hurt his knee, he'd won five of his previous seven starts, with a 2.77 ERA. In his first three starts since coming off the DL, he allowed 20 hits and 14 runs in 8 2/3 innings. And the Twins are clearly worried about him.

The Twins' coaching staff was concerned he couldn't use his legs because he was favoring the knee on his pushoff leg. But they'll give him two more starts to see if he comes around. He might not even get a start in the Division Series if he doesn't.

"He might be the key to that whole club," says one AL executive.

Scheduling rumblings & grumblings

The Giants find themselves in a grueling race with the Dodgers for the final playoff spot. Yet the decision on game time for Thursday night's game in L.A. was left in the hands of the Dodgers, not MLB, even though playing it at night forced the Giants to fly all night to get to Milwaukee for a night game Friday.

The Giants asked the Dodgers for months to move up the game time but were constantly refused. But why was it their decision?

MLB's vice president for scheduling and club relations, Katy Feeney, says there used to be an old National League rule that allowed visiting teams to request a day game on getaway days. But it was done away with several years ago, when MLB took control of scheduling away from the individual leagues.

There is also a current rule that requires teams traveling from the Pacific to Eastern time zones to have an off day the next day _ or, if that's not doable, a day game in the west, followed by a night game in the east. But there are no rules whatsoever about travel to the Central time zone. Which explains why this was the home team's call, not MLB's.

"This has happened a lot of times during the season," Feeney said. "This just happens to fall in the pennant race. ... But when the schedule was set, we didn't know who would be in the pennant race. It just happened to fall this way."

Nevertheless, we were curious to see if the Dodgers would ever do this to themselves. So we checked. And the only two times since 1998 they had home games one day and a game in the Central time zone the next day, they scheduled game times at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

One will require that any time a visiting team has an off day at home the next day -- in any time zone -- their getaway road game has to be a day game.

The other will put an end to all exhibition games during the season except the annual Hall of Fame game. So any games between a big-league club and its farm teams would have to take place before opening day.

	Randy Johnson Starting Pitcher Arizona Diamondbacks Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM W-L IP H K ERA 33 23-5 251 191 326 2.40

Johnson hasn't started on three days' rest since 1995. But with this schedule, he could pitch Games 1 and 4 on his normal four days' rest.

Schilling, on the other hand, started twice in the World Series on three days' rest (allowing nine hits and three runs in 14 1/3 innings). So while the Diamondbacks haven't tipped their hand, he would be an obvious candidate to start Game 2 of the Division Series, then be available either for Game 5 of that series (on three days' rest) or Game 1 of the NLCS.

For the record, back in his semi-youth, the Unit was 4-1, 2.98 ERA in his career on three days' rest. And that doesn't count his 1 1/3 hitless innings in relief on no days' rest in Game 7 of the World Series.

Miscellaneous rumblings & grumblings

For one thing, his contract makes it extremely difficult for him to be traded. Sosa has a three-year, $46-million extension that's already in place (assuming he vests his player options) through 2005. And if he's traded, another $22.5 million gets tacked onto the guarantee -- an $18-million salary for 2006 and either a $4.5-million buyout for 2007 or a $19-million option year. Plus, the club trading for him would owe him another $2 million if it traded him again.

So the only realistic way for Sosa to leave Chicago is if he forces his way out, either by not picking up one of his options or by demanding a trade and expressing a willingness to renegotiate his current deal to make that happen. Think either of those scenarios are likely? We don't. Because this man loves Chicago, and Chicago loves him.

"I think Sammy is obsessed with winning and performing at the highest level," says his agent, Adam Katz. "Sometimes he says things that reflect that agenda. But he's a Cub. I'd view it as remote that he'll be anywhere else."

They could play that guy at first base, third or left field (and move Burrell to first). But given manager Larry Bowa's open unhappiness with Travis Lee's season, they'd obviously prefer a first baseman -- which logically translates to free agents Jim Thome, Jeff Kent, Cliff Floyd or (reportedly) a trade for Carlos Delgado.

But friends of Thome doubt he wants to leave Cleveland. A friend of Kent says he "would have no stomach" for a town like Philadelphia.

Floyd wouldn't be thrilled with either turf or the idea of playing first base, where he once broke a wrist when Todd Hundley ran him over while he was trying to catch a wild throw. And Delgado has given Toronto no indication he would waive his blanket no-trade clause -- for any team or any reason.

So who does that leave? Here are the other big free-agent bats on this market:

First base: Fred McGriff (assuming Cubs don't pick up his option), John Olerud.

Third base: Edgardo Alfonzo, David Bell (if Giants don't pick up his option), Todd Zeile, Robin Ventura, Scott Rolen (oops, sorry).

Outfield: Steve Finley, David Justice (if he doesn't retire), Reggie Sanders (if Giants don't pick up his option).

"Alex plays on a jet-slick infield," Hart said. "He plays behind a pitching staff that puts the ball in play a lot. He's been playing games for a team that's way out of the race. And the guy hasn't made a mistake. He's barely made an error (eight, actually). He goes in the hole and throws you out. He'll jump up and make that jump-throw like Jeter. This guy is a great shortstop.

"Don't get me wrong. Omar's the best I've ever seen. He oozes defense. But they're different-type shortstops. Alex is more of a Cal Ripken-type shortstop. Omar has so much flair to him. But Alex is just a guy who does everything and doesn't make mistakes."

For the record, A-Rod went into Thursday with eight errors, to Vizquel's six. A-Rod has more assists + putouts (697 to 641), but in eight more games. And if anyone is interested, the shortstop with the most chances in the league isn't either of them. It's (surprise) Miguel Tejada, with 702.

Ted Turner, Braves -- No. 80 (net worth: $2.2 billion)
Carl Pohlad, Twins -- No. 88 ($2 billion)
Drayton McLane, Astros -- No. 185 ($1.1 billion)
Tom Hicks, Rangers -- No. 332 ($725 million)
Carl Lindner, Reds -- No. 350 ($675 million)
Tom Werner, Red Sox -- No. 368 ($600 million)
Mike Illitch, Tigers -- No. 381 ($575 million)

Turner's estimated worth declined the most, from $6.2 billion to $2.2 billion. (Thank you, AOL.) Others on the way down were Hicks (down $35 million) and Lindner (down $25 million). McLane stayed the same. Pohlad was the biggest winner, adding $200 million. Werner and Illitch missed last year's list, so their net gains or losses were unknown.

Oh yeah. And no players made the list.