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| Friday, May 9 Both right-handers are on disabled list Associated Press |
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Texas Rangers: Ismael Valdes and Chan Ho Park, the top two starters for the Rangers, will make their next starts for Double-A Frisco. Both right-handers are on the disabled list and will make rehab starts for the Rangers' minor league team that is nearby in a Dallas suburb. Valdes (tendinitis right shoulder) will start Sunday, and Park (strained lower back) will pitch Monday. Valdes (2-2, 5.74 ERA in five starts) has been on the DL since after his last start April 19. He had been scheduled to pitch Saturday against Cleveland, but could return against the Yankees in New York next weekend. "We just don't think he's ready to pitch Saturday mentally or physically without a rehab start," Rangers manager Buck Showalter said Friday. "Ismael has been great in body language and the things he's said for the most part, but he's been asking if he should take a rehab start." Park (1-3, 7.16 in six starts) has been on the DL since April 28, and won't be eligible to come back before next week. Showalter said Park would make at least two rehab starts in the minors.
"I have everything," the slugger said Friday.
Manager Joe Torre plans to keep Giambi in the designated hitter role until his health improves and use Nick Johnson at first base.
"If it was a danger, he wouldn't be playing," Torre said. ``We'll use him more as a DH probably. He's been dealing with a lot of little things the last couple weeks. He hasn't been to the plate without something wrong. (His eyes) seemed better and came back again. This is his body. Let him talk about it."
Giambi, who bruised his left middle finger in April, has been taking medicine for his eyes and saw a specialist Friday in the Bay area. He also visited a specialist in New York last week. In other New York injury news, shortstop Derek Jeter had his best performance yet in his rehab assignment with the Trenton Thunder, going 2-for-5 with a run scored Friday night against the New Haven Ravens. The five-time All-Star shortstop has been out since March 31, when he dislocated his left shoulder sliding into Toronto Blue Jays catcher Ken Huckaby. He is scheduled to come off the disabled list Tuesday night when the Yankees begin a homestead against Anaheim.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Jeter said before the Thunder's 8-6 win over the Ravens. "I'm still trying to make some adjustments at the plate. But that will come in time."
Zimmer still resting
The 72-year-old Zimmer had made travel arrangements, but instead is staying put at home in Westchester County for now. He will join the team when it returns home.
Zimmer spent three days at Beth Israel North Hospital last week for tests.
"He feels like he's not earning his money when he's sitting at home," manager Joe Torre said. "But he's not disappointed to stay home" because he would have been limited in what he could do.
Minnesota Twins: Rookie Michael Cuddyer was sent to Triple-A Rochester on Friday to make room for utility infielder Denny Hocking, who was activated from the disabled list.
Cuddyer, one of the Twins' top prospects since he was a first-round draft pick in 1997, was given the starting job in right field out of spring training but has struggled at the plate.
He's batting .233 (17-for-73) with two homers and five RBI -- going 5-for-12 in his last five games.
Since Dustan Mohr and Bobby Kielty are both hitting well, Cuddyer's at-bats have been limited lately -- something the Twins don't want.
There isn't a timetable for his return to the majors at this point, barring an injury.
"I don't want him sitting here watching everybody else," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That's not the plan for this kid."
The move was retroactive to Monday, a day after Eaton (1-3) was hurt in a 3-1 loss to Philadelphia. At first, the Padres thought he would miss just one start.
"He's probably about 10 days away," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said before Friday's game against the New York Mets.
San Diego filled his roster spot by purchasing the contract of left-hander Roger Deago from Double-A Mobile. He is scheduled to make his major league debut Saturday in a start against the Mets.
To create space on the 40-man roster, San Diego transferred outfielder Phil Nevin from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL.
Eaton, 25, has a 3.73 ERA in seven starts. Deago, a 25-year-old Panamanian, was 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA at Mobile.
Benard was placed on the DL, retroactive to May 5, with inflammation in his right knee. He was hitting .080 (2-for-25). Zerbe 0-0 with a 8.71 ERA in 10 1/3 innings.
Jensen, who was on a rehab assignment at Fresno, was 0-0 with a 15.75 ERA in two starts before being placed on the DL April 10 with a lower back muscle strain.
Ellison was hitting .315 with one home run and 10 RBI in 32 games at Fresno.
The Detroit Tigers purchased Avery's contract from Triple-A Toledo, and said the left-handed pitcher would be in uniform for Friday night's game at Tampa Bay.
In order to make room for Avery, the Tigers on Wednesday sent right-hander Matt Anderson, a former No. 1 overall pick in the amateur draft, to Toledo.
The 33-year-old Avery is making his return to the majors after missing the past two years following left shoulder surgery in 1999. He is expected to pitch in relief with the Tigers.
In 1991, he was selected MVP of the NL championship series after beating the Pittsburgh Pirates twice, setting a NLCS record by pitching 16 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings.
Avery's best season was 1993, when he went 18-6 with a 2.94 ERA for Atlanta. He also spent two years with the Boston Red Sox.
He has a 4.17 ERA in 278 major league games.
Lugo was arrested April 30 after a loss to the Atlanta Braves and charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly attacking his wife at Minute Maid Park before the game.
He was designated for assignment May 1, giving the Astros 10 days to trade him, demote him to the minors or place him on waivers. Now another team can claim him or Lugo can become a free agent.
A judge on Wednesday issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Lugo from going within 200 feet of his wife, Mabel, who told police he punched her in the mouth and banged her head against a car window. Lugo, who spent a night in jail before being released on bond, denies the charge.
If convicted, he could face up to a year in prison and a $4,000 fine. Lugo hit .243 with one home run and four RBI for Houston in 2003. He has a one-year, $1.58 million contract with the Astros.
Benes, who was designated for assignment Monday, was 0-0 with a save and a 2.16 ERA in three games for the Cubs this season.
"For us to keep him, he would have had to have gone through waivers by Monday, and with the way he threw for us, the likelihood of that wasn't going to happen,'' Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said.
"So it ends up being real good for Alan. And over the course of the summer, we'll have the chance to scout their system more and we'll hopefully end up with a good solid player in return.''
Chicago signed Benes to a minor-league contract in January 2002 after he spent the first nine years of his career with the St. Louis organization. He made seven late-season start for the Cubs last year, going 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA. "We think this guy's a good option for us," Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. "I love his makeup and his presence and what he brings to our club. We understand some of the risks we're taking, too, but we think we have a chance to get a guy that can help us."
He was 10-9 with a 5.65 ERA in 28 starts at Triple-A Iowa, the first season since 1996 he'd registered double-digit victories.
Benes was 27-23 with a 4.42 ERA in 101 games -- 59 starts -- with the Cardinals. He was one out away from a no-hitter in his second season, but he had surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff on Sept. 3, 1997, and didn't pitch again until August 1999. He spent most of the 2000 and 2001 seasons in the minors.
Benes' brother, Andy, pitched in the majors from 1989 to last year. |
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