Los Angeles Dodgers: Dodgers ace Kevin Brown was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a lower abdominal strain.

The move is retroactive to July 4.

Brown was injured in the fourth inning of a 7-4 loss to San Diego on July 3 while running from first to third on a double. He later scored and pitched the next inning before pulling himself from the game.

The Dodgers had hoped Brown would only have to miss one start, but they decided to give him more time to heal. He was scheduled to pitch Sunday against Colorado, but left-hander Wilson Alvarez will take his place.

"The move was made in regards to his health, but it's also a strategic move on our part,'' manager Jim Tracy said. "We need this guy for the second half of the season to make a run at this thing. To try and venture out there for one day and have something that could adversely affect us for the second half of the season doesn't make any sense.''

The Dodgers also placed infielder Ron Coomer on the 15-day DL so he can be tested for recent dizziness and headaches. The move is retroactive to July 8.

Right-hander Alfredo Gonzalez was recalled from Double-A Jacksonville and utility player Chin-Feng Chen was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas the spots left by Brown and Coomer.

St. Louis Cardinals: Struggling Cardinals ace Matt Morris will remain in the rotation and pitch in the first game after the All-Star break.

Morris allowed six runs, five earned, in five innings of a 9-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday and said afterward he might need a medical checkup for peace of mind. Morris (8-6) has been fighting mechanical problems brought on by shoulder soreness the last month or so, and has given up 38 earned runs in his last 41 innings covering eight starts.

After throwing consecutive shutouts in mid-May he had a 2.26 ERA, which has since ballooned to 4.19. But manager Tony La Russa said Morris' health has not been an issue for some time, and that he'll just have to work his way back into form.

"He's been checked and he had a great bullpen before the last start,'' La Russa said. "You don't just turn it off and turn it on.

"He just needs to get back in a good groove, just like a hitter.''

New York Yankees: Yankees right fielder Raul Mondesi returned to the starting lineup Friday, a day after angrily complaining about playing time.

Yankees manager Joe Torre said Thursday that Karim Garcia would start in right field until the All-Star break, but he changed his mind Friday. After learning he wouldn't start, Mondesi protested to reporters that he couldn't get out of his slump if he wasn't playing.

"I've been playing in this league for a long time,'' said Mondesi, who , who entered Friday's game in a 2-for-29 slump. "Because I had a bad week? What about the first two months of the season? Who was playing against right-handers? Three months left, man.''

Mondesi, who is a free agent this fall, said he would sign with somebody else.

Asked if Mondesi's reaction changed his mind, Torre said: "I'll let you decide that. You can make that decision.'''

Cleveland Indians: Matt Lawton left the Indians' game Friday night against the Chicago White Sox after dislocating his finger during a fourth-inning at-bat.

After swinging and missing at a pitch from Gary Glover to make the count 1-2, Lawton stepped out of the batter's box, looked at his right hand, and walked to the dugout.

"Matt went for X-rays and they revealed he dislocated the middle finger on his right hand,'' manager Eric Wedge said. "He did it swinging the bat.

"He'll be out three-to-four weeks. We'll put Matt on the disabled list and call up somebody to replace him.''

Wedge said that decision would be made before the Indians play a day-night doubleheader against the White Sox on Saturday.

Shane Spencer replaced Lawton, took one ball, then grounded into a double play.

Lawton had batted .316 with eight homers over his previous 24 games to lift his average to .248. He leads the Indians with 15 homers and 47 RBI.

Toronto Blue Jays: Reliever Juan Acevedo said Friday he wasn't happy with how the New York Yankees released him last month.

Acevedo was cut June 10, three days after allowing a three-run homer to Eric Karros of the Chicago Cubs, costing Roger Clemens a chance for his 300th victory. Clemens, who reached 300 wins in his next start, took the loss.

"I wasn't sad that they released me. I was mad with how it was handled. It's the Boss and Cashman, they do their own thing,'' said Acevedo, referring to George Steinbrenner and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

"It's unfortunate what happened over there. Hopefully, I'll have George still mad at me.''

Davis chooses free agency: Left-hander Doug Davis opted for free agency Friday, a day after he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays.

Davis, claimed off waivers from Texas by the Blue Jays in May, was 4-6 with a 5.00 ERA, allowing 70 hits and 26 walks in 54 innings.

The Blue Jays had hoped he would accept an assignment to Triple-A Syracuse, but Davis instead chose to leave.

Montreal Expos: Left-hander Scott Stewart was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday after having an appendectomy the night before.

Stewart, who last pitched on Tuesday, fell ill suddenly on Thursday and had surgery that evening.

He is 3-1 with a 3.35 earned-run average in 44 games out of the bullpen for the Expos.

Montreal also transferred right-hander Tony Armas Jr. -- one of six Expos pitchers currently on the disabled list -- to the 60-day DL.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies placed third baseman David Bell on the 15-day disabled list with a strained lower back after Friday night's game against the New York Mets.

Infielder Tyler Houston was activated from the disabled list to take Bell's place on the roster.

Bell, hitting just .198 with four homers and 37 RBI in his first season with the Phillies, has been bothered by a sore hip, as well. He thinks the soreness in his back and hip are related, and said he'd see a doctor within the next few days.

"I just need to do everything I can to get better,'' Bell said. "Whatever it is, it'll get better.''

Bell was replaced at third base by Tomas Perez to start the third inning of Thursday night's win at New York and didn't play Friday night. He said the pain in his hip developed about 10 days ago, and he also missed five days in April with back spasms.

Texas Rangers: Left-hander John Danks, Texas' first-round draft pick, passed his physical Friday and threw in the bullpen at The Ballpark in Arlington.

"This is awesome. I've been chomping at the bit,'' Danks said. "That was one of the coolest things I've done in a long time.''

Wearing a No. 15 Rangers jersey with his name on the back, Danks threw for about 15 minutes in the bullpen before Texas' game against Kansas City with pitching coach Orel Hershiser. General manager John Hart and manager Buck Showalter stood by and watched.

Danks was the ninth overall pick in the June draft after going 10-3 with a 1.61 ERA as a senior at Round Rock High School. In 100 innings, he had 173 strikeouts and allowed just 59 hits and 27 walks to help lead his team to the Class 5A state championship game.

The Rangers agreed to terms with Danks on a contract worth about $2.1 million Thursday. He will join the Rangers' rookie team in Arizona on Sunday.

Colorado Rockies: Right-hander Matt Whiteside signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies on Friday.

Whiteside pitched in Japan over the summer after leading all Colorado minor leaguers with 26 saves in 2002. He was 4-7 with a 5.50 ERA last season for the Rockies' Triple-A team at Colorado Springs.

Whiteside, who also has played for Atlanta and Texas, is 18-15 with nine saves for his career.