Spring training scoreboard

	White

New York Yankees: Outfielder Rondell White could make his first appearance of the exhibition season early next week.

White has not played a game this spring after straining his left rib cage Feb. 25. He could start batting practice by this weekend.

"We want to make sure," Yankees manager Joe Torre said Tuesday. "We want him to keep progressing."

White took part in some drills Tuesday and threw for the first time in three days.

"Yes, I'm encouraged," he said. "I want to start Opening Day. It went well today. I want to get back out there."

White has been on the disabled list eight times in his major league career.

"Hopefully, I can get into games next week and leave with the team," he said.

Reliever Ramiro Mendoza threw for about eight minutes Tuesday from halfway up a bullpen mound. The right-hander, who has pitched just once this spring because of upper back and neck stiffness, also threw 11 pitches from the pitching rubber.

"I'm not planning on it," said Torre, when asked about Mendoza being ready for opening day. "If he is, it would be a pleasant surprise. I don't want to put this on him."

Mike Thurman and Adrian Hernandez are the frontrunners to replace Mendoza if he's not ready to start the season.

Left-hander Andy Pettitte, slowed by a strained left elbow, will pitch in a minor league game Wednesday.

"It will be a matter of a few innings or 50, 60 pitches," Torre said.

Center fielder Bernie Williams was back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds after missing three games with a mild left hamstring strain.

Cleveland Indians: Right-hander Jaret Wright was only able to pitch to three batters in a minor league game before leaving with tightness in his shoulder.

	Wright

General manager Mark Shapiro said there was a "98 percent chance" Wright would begin the season on the disabled list.

"It's concerning," Shapiro said. "Is it serious? I won't know until he sees a doctor."

Wright immediately left the Indians' training complex for California to see Dr. Lewis Yocum, who has operated on Wright's shoulder twice in the past 18 months.

"I know it's frustrating for Jaret," Shapiro said. "I feel for him."

Wright's career has been in a tailspin since his rookie year in 1997, when he won three postseason games and started Game 7 of the World Series.

He had one impressive outing this spring before feeling tightness in his shoulder during a recent start and the Indians decided to limit his work.

Wright was scheduled to work two innings, but had to quit after two batters and 21 pitches.

Cincinnati Reds:Shortstop Barry Larkin was bothered by his groin during practice Tuesday, leaving the Reds unsure of when he'll play again.

Larkin, 37, tore his groin last season and had surgery to repair a hernia. The groin began bothering him again in spring training, prompting manager Bob Boone to keep him out of games as a precaution. He hasn't played since coming out of a game last Thursday.

Larkin took grounders and batting practice Tuesday, but felt some discomfort. Doctors think he's bothered by the mesh used to repair the hernia.

"He took ground balls and swung the bat real well, but he felt it a little bit," Boone said.

Larkin didn't accompany the team to Tampa for a game against the Yankees. He'll work out before Wednesday's game in Sarasota before Boone decides whether to let him play.

"If he feels it at all, he's not going to go," Boone said.

Larkin tore the groin last year during spring training and missed most of the exhibition games. It got worse once the season started, forcing him onto the disabled list from May 17 to June 14.

He aggravated it after he returned, prompting the Reds to put him back on the disabled list June 29. They also urged him to have surgery to repair the hernia, which was unrelated and had bothered him for some time.

Larkin played in only 45 games last season, the first under a three-year, $27 million contract extension.

Kansas City Royals: Royals left fielder Dee Brown injured his right knee Tuesday when he ran into the wall catching a fly ball in a 10-9 loss to Cleveland.

Manager Tony Muser said he did not know the extent of the injury and hoped it was nothing more than bruised. Brown was helped off the field.

"It's right on my kneecap," Brown said. "It's like when somebody punches you in the eye and it swells up. That's how my knee looks."

Brown hit .245 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs in 106 games last year as a rookie.

Colorado Rockies: Jason Jennings turned in a strong performance against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, but Rockies manager Buddy Bell stopped short of saying Jennings has a lock on the fifth spot in the starting rotation.

"It is not clarified yet," Bell said after the Rockies beat the A's 5-2. "I thought Jason was better. Overall, I thought everything was more crisp and in a better location."

Jennings limited the defending American League West champions to one run through the first five innings and became the first Colorado pitcher to work six innings this spring.

Jennings gave up runs in the second and sixth innings and pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam in the sixth.

"I threw some good change-ups, got a good feel for my slider and threw some good sinkers. Everything is coming together just at the right time," Jennings said.

Jennings (1-1, 6.32) is competing with Chris Holt (0-0, 9.90) and Dennis Stark (0-1, 4.70) for the starting spot.

The rest of the rotation is made up of Mike Hampton, Denny Neagle, Shawn Chacon and John Thomson. The Rockies open the regular season April 1 in St. Louis.