New York Yankees: Shortstop Derek Jeter went 1-for-3 Wednesday night in Trenton, N.J., in his first minor league rehabilitation game since dislocating a shoulder on Opening Day.

	Jeter

The five-time All-Star is slated to play five games for the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees' Double-A team, and hopes to rejoin the Yankees when they open a homestand Tuesday.

"It was good just to get out there," Jeter said after being lifted for a pinch runner in the fifth inning. "Just to play again felt good. I haven't played in five weeks, a little more than five weeks, so you can only do so many drills. I hate watching, period. It's been long enough."

Jeter dislocated his left shoulder March 31 when he collided with Toronto Jays catcher Ken Huckaby on a headfirst slide at third.

Jeter reached on an error in the first when Binghamton shortstop Gilbert Velasquez booted his slow roller. Jeter grounded out to shortstop in the third, and singled sharply to left in the fifth.

He handled three infield chances smoothly, throwing a runner out on a grounder to the deepest part of the hole at shortstop. He also tagged out a runner at second base trying to steal.

Despite pleas from Yankees to be careful, Jeter said he has no plans to baby the shoulder, or to alter his baserunning or fielding style -- including diving for balls or sliding headfirst.

"Once you start to favor one thing, you hurt something else," he said. "Physically, I'm fine. I'm happy with that."

His appearance drew a long line of fans, some of whom waited since before noon, hoping for an autograph. The game drew a crowd of 8,380 at Mercer County Waterfront Park.

Seattle Mariners: Closer Kazuhiro Sasaki rejoined the Mariners on Wednesday after a minor league rehabilitation assignment and could come off the disabled list as early as Thursday.

"I threw in a game last night," Sasaki said though an interpreter. "Today, I'll play catch, long toss, and we'll see how I feel tomorrow."

Manager Bob Melvin said Sasaki's strained lower back will be re-evaluated Thursday, when the right-hander is eligible to come off the 15-day DL. The team is in no hurry to make a decision.

He started Tuesday night for Seattle's Inland Empire club in the Class A California League, throwing one inning with a walk and two strikeouts.

"The sharpness of the pitches was there, the spin, the rotation," Sasaki said. "Everything was good. That's what I need to be concerned with. I was able to place the splitter. It was dropping in the right places."

When Sasaki is ready, the Mariners are considering him as a middle reliever to ease his way back. He's willing to try.

Baltimore Orioles: Catcher Brook Fordyce will be placed on bereavement leave Thursday to allow him to attend the funeral for his father.

	Fordyce

The Orioles will purchase the contract of catcher Roberto Machado, who will serve as a backup to Geronimo Gil, from Triple-A Ottawa. Machado, who joined the team Wednesday, will be activated before Thursday's game in Kansas City.

Fordyce, who started Wednesday's against the Detroit Tigers, planned to leave the team after the game to join his family in Connecticut.

"He wanted to play. He said that's what his father would want him to do," Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said.

Tom Fordyce died of heart failure Tuesday evening. Unaware of the news, Fordyce dressed but did not play. He was told of his father's death by his wife in the Baltimore clubhouse late in the game.

According to major league rules, a player on bereavement leave must miss at least three days and can be gone for up to a week.

"He'll come back when he can," Hargrove said.

Boston Red Sox: Left-hander Bruce Chen was claimed off waivers from Houston and might wind up working long relief for Boston's beleaguered bullpen.

Chen, 25, is 7-1 with a 4.14 ERA in 91 career relief appearances. He made 11 relief appearances this season with Houston, with no record and a 6.00 ERA, eight strikeouts and eight walks. He has spent all or parts of the last six seasons in the majors with the Braves, Phillies, Mets, Expos, Reds and Astros.

"We think he can help us now in the 'pen from the left side," general manager Theo Epstein said. "We think there's still some upside left to him. It's been a bit of an enigma as to why he hasn't replicated his minor league success in the big leagues. Maybe a change of leagues will help."

Chen will join the Red Sox on Friday in Minnesota.

Cincinnati Reds: Right-hander Ryan Dempster will miss at least one start because of a sore neck.

Medical tests detected an inflamed nerve in Dempster's neck. Chris Reitsma will start in his place Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Jimmy Haynes, who went on the disabled list April 17 with a sore back, is scheduled to start for Triple-A Louisville on Thursday night. If he pitches well, he could rejoin the Reds.

Atlanta Braves: Right-hander reliever Darren Holmes was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 2, with a sore arm.

A key component of the Atlanta bullpen, Holmes has struggled this season, going 1-0 with a 6.23 ERA in 12 games. The veteran has been hit hard, giving up six runs and 10 hits in 8 2/3 innings.

To replace Holmes on the roster, the Braves recalled right-hander Joey Dawley from Triple-A Richmond. Dawley appeared in three games with the Braves earlier this season, allowing 11 runs and 12 hits in five innings.

St. Louis Cardinals: Rick Ankiel will make his first start of the season Friday night for Double-A Tennessee after beginning the year in the bullpen.

The Cardinals decided the 23-year-old left-hander wasn't getting enough work in relief. He has struggled with his command this season, going 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in the Southern League.

In 10 appearances, he has walked 13, hit two batters and thrown six wild pitches over 9 1/3 innings.

Ankiel probably will be limited to 50 pitches Friday against the Greenville Braves in Kodak, Tenn. He looked good during a 45-pitch bullpen session supervised by pitching coach Blaise Ilsley on Tuesday.

Toronto Blue Jays: Third-base coach Brian Butterfield missed his second straight game. Manager Carlos Tosca said Butterfield spent Tuesday night in the hospital with what he termed "dehydration." Tosca wouldn't elaborate, but said Butterfield was released from the hospital Wednesday and was at the team's hotel.

Butterfield is expected to be back in uniform for the final game of the three-game series at Texas on Thursday.

He's doing much better. He's been cleared," Tosca said.