SARASOTA, Fla. -- New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday because of a slight middle ear infection.

Mussina was examined in Tampa, and did not accompany the team for its exhibition opener against Cincinnati.

"The report on Mussina is fine," manager Joe Torre said after the Yankees beat the Reds 8-3. "I guess he'll throw tomorrow or Saturday (in the bullpen)."

Around the park

Good news for Hudson PHOENIX -- Oakland Athletics ace Tim Hudson, limited by a sprained ankle this spring, pitched two innings of a simulated game Thursday. "That's good news," Oakland manager Art Howe said. Hudson has been unable to get in much work after spraining his left ankle during fielding drills last week. He was on crutches for a couple of days, then had a splint removed Tuesday. "It went better than planned," pitching coach Rick Peterson said. "Right now he's on the same routine as before the injury. He's just going to miss some games. He won't miss any work." Hudson threw 40 pitches on flat ground, 20 each inning, and reported some minor stiffness. Peterson said it was still uncertain when Hudson would pitch in his first spring training game. Rosado starts comeback in intrasquad game HAINES CITY, Fla. -- Kansas City Royals left-hander Jose Rosado, who has not pitched in nearly two years because of shoulder injuries, retired all four batters he faced in an intrasquad game Thursday. Rosado, a two-time AL All-Star, threw 20 pitches. He has had two shoulder surgeries the past two years. "How I evaluate that outing is, wow," Rosado said. "I threw strikes. I was ahead of the count. I threw a 3-2 changeup. I threw a 2-2 fastball in to strike out the last guy. I was around the plate after a year and a half." Rosado retired Donnie Sadler and Joe Espada, his first two hitters, on routine flyballs to the outfield. He struck out Ken Harvey and Scott Walter to end the outing. Rosado appeared in two spring training games last year before being shut down on March 19. He underwent a second surgery on his left shoulder May 30. "I'm here to show people I'm healthy," he said. Ichiro shows his MVP form PEORIA, Ariz. -- AL MVP Ichiro Suzuki had an impressive start to exhibition play with a home run, two RBI, two runs and a walk, but the Seattle Mariners fell 10-9 to the San Diego Padres on Thursday. It was a charity game that won't count in the Cactus League standings. Suzuki's speed produced the Mariners' first run. He reached base to start the bottom of the first when Padres second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez, converted from shortstop, made a slight bobble of a slow grounder and was charged with an error. Suzuki advanced on a passed ball and a ground out, and scored on Carlos Guillen's sacrifice fly to center. Suzuki hit a two-run homer off Jason Middlebrook in the second. Alex Arias also had a two-run shot in the inning. Sele debuts for Angels TEMPE, Ariz. -- Right-hander Aaron Sele made his debut for the Anaheim Angels on Friday, throwing just nine pitches against a Division II college team. Sele, a free agent who signed a three-year, $24-million contract in the off-season, faced three Cal Poly-Pomona hitters in the first inning at Diablo Stadium. He allowed one hit before getting out of the inning with a double play. "I did it. It's over," he said after running sprints in the outfield. Left-hander Scott Schoeneweis, who also figures to be in the starting rotation, worked a perfect second inning with two strikeouts. Sele said he doesn't take anything lightly in the spring, having learned by watching Boston ace Roger Clemens when Sele broke into the majors in 1993. "I remember watching Roger and he had about seven years in already," Sele said. "Whether you're strengthening your legs, working on a bunt play or learning a new pitch, you always have something you can work on." -- The Associated Press

Torre said Mussina was "a little out of whack in his equilibrium" when the right-hander arrived at Legends Field on Thursday. The manager said Mussina was feeling better by the afternoon.

Yankees pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said Mussina will likely skip his first turn in the rotation and pitch Tuesday.

"There's a good chance we'll wait until his next turn," Stottlemyre said. "I may do something different, but most likely I won't."

Sterling Hitchcock, battling Orlando Hernandez and David Wells for the final two rotation spots, allowed one run and two hits over two innings.

Hitchcock allowed a leadoff homer to Brady Clark before striking out the side in the first. He finished with four strikeouts.

"Some brain cramps to the first hitter," Hitchcock said. "After the first batter, it was good."

Manwhile, Drew Henson, expected to start the season at Triple-A, went 1-for-3 with a two-run, first-inning single in the New York Yankees' 8-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds Thursday.

The former Michigan quarterback did make a throwing error at third base but was solid in his first major league spring training game.

"I had fun," Henson said. "It was nice to get out there. That first hit, get it out of the way."

Colorado Rockies: Manager Buddy Bell left spring-training on Thursday to return to Denver for followup tests on his back and left leg.

Bell had surgery on Dec. 11 to repair a disk problem and has experienced discomfort in his left leg since then.

He has been unable to take part in some of his usual spring-training duties, such as hitting fungoes and throwing batting practice.

Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd urged Bell to get followup tests in Denver with the team's doctors, internist Allen Schreiber and orthopedist Thomas Noonan.

O'Dowd said the tests were to determine if the discomfort Bell is experiencing is part of the normal recovery from back surgery.

Bell expects to return to Arizona for Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix. Bench coach Toby Harrah will run the team in Bell's absence.

"I was going to hold off but I needed the follow-up tests," Bell said. "I want to do it now rather than wait until the middle of spring. I've been kind of putting it off, and finally Danny just pretty much told me to take care of it."

Cleveland Indians: Infielder John McDonald had an emergency appendectomy and is expected to be sidelined up to four weeks.

McDonald, 27, sat out of the Indians' intrasquad scrimmage with flu-like symptoms before going to Winter Haven Hospital and having surgery Wednesday night, Indians spokesman Curtis Danburg said Thursday.

He is the Indians' second utility infielder to be sidelined by a non-baseball ailment. Jolbert Cabrera is recovering from a gunshot wound to the buttocks sustained in an attempted carjacking in Colombia on Dec. 21.

McDonald is hoping to make the opening-day roster as a utility infielder. He is out of options with the Indians, meaning they can no longer send him down to the minors without exposing him to other teams on the waiver wire. McDonald has spent just 118 days in the majors.

An exceptional fielder, McDonald hit .244 in 116 games for Triple-A Buffalo last season.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Mark Grudzielanek thinks the Dodgers are better off without Gary Sheffield as they try for their first playoff berth in six years.

The Dodgers, who haven't won a postseason game since their 1988 World Series title, went 86-76 for the second straight year last season despite injuries to several key players, including Grudzielanek, and controversy surrounding Sheffield.

"We came close," Grudzielanek said of the Dodgers, who finished six games back of World Series champion Arizona in the NL West. "They've gathered players and put together an elite team here. We haven't been showing that or doing that. It's been too long for an organization that's a class act like this to be out of the playoffs."

While acknowledging Sheffield is one of baseball's top offensive players, Grudzielanek made clear he supported the trade that sent the disgruntled outfielder to Atlanta for outfielder Brian Jordan, left-hander Odalis Perez and a minor leaguer.

"At times, he was a distraction to some of the players in the clubhouse," Grudzielanek said. "We're trying to have that unity, that team morale, that was tough to have with some individuals. He was one of them.

"We may miss Sheff in the lineup. In the clubhouse, I'm sure it will ease things with him gone. The chemistry level will definitely be better, that's just the way it is."

Philadelphia Phillies: Reliever Turk Wendell sat out practice Thursday with tendinitis in his right elbow, the same injury that ended his 2001 season three weeks early.

"We'll put Turk on medication and see what happens," manager Larry Bowa said. "It could be three days or it could be two weeks. I don't know."

Wendell, 34, experienced discomfort while working an inning in an intrasquad game Tuesday.

"I started to throw my slider to try to get a feel for it, and it didn't feel right," Wendell said. "It's in the same spot as last year, but I probably don't feel it quite as much."

The right-hander developed a sore arm last August, shortly after being sent to the Phillies from the New York Mets in a four-player trade July 27. Wendell kept the injury to himself and struggled badly, going 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA in 21 outings. On Sept. 18, he was shut down for the remainder of the season with acute tendinitis in his right elbow.

In the offseason, Wendell rested his arm until Jan. 1, when he began playing catch.

"That's my normal routine," he said.

Chicago Cubs: Ron Santo returned to the Chicago Cubs' radio booth Thursday for the team's exhibition opener, a little more than two months after his right leg was amputated.

The 61-year-Santo, diagnosed with diabetes at 18, pulled up his pants leg to show off his state-of-the art prothesis, the bottom of which is colored Cubs' blue.

He was able to move around HoHoKam Park with the aid of a walker.

"I was hoping to walk in here, but it takes time. I'm ahead of schedule. I got to be patient," Santo said. "I can only say I'm just so happy to be here. I wouldn't want anybody to go through what I went through."

Santo, a nine-time All-Star third baseman for the Cubs, is to throw out the first pitch for the Cubs' home opener April 5.

"I've never done it on one leg," said the five-time Gold Glove winner, adding he'll practice his throw in the backyard of his Arizona home between now and then.

Santo said he was able to get through his ordeal with the help of his family and thousands of cards and e-mails.

"Maybe somebody else would have said, 'I can't make it,' but I'm not that way," Santo said.

St. Louis Cardinals: Andy Benes, trying to win back a spot in the St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation after a dismal 2001, pitched three shutout innings Thursday's exhibition opener, a 5-2 win over the New York Mets at Jupiter, Fla.

"It's the first time I've come to spring training in 12 years that I knew I wasn't one of the starting pitchers," Benes said after allowing just a pair of two-out hits, a first-inning single by Jeromy Burnitz and Roger Cedeno's third-inning double.

Benes walked none and struck out one.

"It was a good start, very encouraging," Benes said.

So Taguchi, trying to earn a starting job in left field, made a nice running catch on a ball hit by Rey Ordonez. The next hitter, Mark Johnson, was robbed on a leaping catch by second baseman Placido Polanco.

Benes, 34, had knee surgery in November 2000 and never regained form last season, going 7-7 with a 7.38 ERA. He didn't pitch after Aug. 30 and was not on the Cardinals' postseason roster.

"And rightfully so," he said, "because I hadn't pitched very well. But it gave me a lot of time to think about baseball and to realize that I still wanted to compete."

Arizona Diamondbacks: Dwayne Murphy, hitting coach of the Diamondbacks, underwent an emergency appendectomy.

The operation took place Wednesday night at Northwest Medicine Center. He was hospitalized overnight and will rest at home for four to five days.

The Diamondbacks expect him back at work on a limited basis the middle of next week.