Phillies put MVP shortstop Rollins on 15-day DL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Jimmy Rollins the MVP has two more capital letters next to his name: DL.
Rollins was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday for the first time in his eight-year career because of a sprained left ankle, nearly two weeks after last year's NL MVP was hurt running the bases against the Mets.
''It has gotten a lot better, but it isn't getting better from this point,'' Rollins said before the Phillies played New York.
Rollins hurt the ankle on April 8 against the Mets, but seemed to believe another day's rest was all he needed to return to the lineup. Instead, their switch-hitting shortstop made no starts and had only four pinch-hit appearances since he was injured. He grounded out against Duaner Sanchez on Saturday and that worsened the ankle.
''In retrospect, of course it was a mistake'' to not immediately put him on the DL, Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. ''But you can only go on how the guy feels.''
Rollins is batting .308 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and two stolen bases.
Rollins played in all 162 regular-season games last season, leading Philadelphia to the NL East title and its first playoff berth since 1993. He batted .296 with 30 homers, 94 RBIs, 20 triples, 41 stolen bases and an NL-high 139 runs.
''I kept thinking he might be able to play,'' Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. ''He kept having pain, especially when he'd go to his left.''
The 29-year-old Rollins said he had no regrets about his attempts to keep playing. But he realized his uncertain status was putting Manuel in a tough position to manage a roster with possibly one less available bench player.
''Not being able to go out there and be useful was the ultimate decision,'' Rollins said. ''I put my pride aside and decided that was the best thing to do.''
The Phillies are 4-6 without Rollins. He will go to Florida this week for rehab.
Eric Bruntlett started his 11th straight game at shortstop and entered Sunday batting .179 with one home run and RBI. He's the first Phillies shortstop besides Rollins to start 10 straight games since Tomas Perez did it in 2000.
The Phillies also placed outfielder Chris Snelling (left knee inflammation) on the disabled list.
The Phillies recalled infielder Brad Harman from Double-A Reading and outfielder T.J. Bohn from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
A-Rod leaves Sunday's game with quad injury
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE (AP) — Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI double and scored before leaving with a leg injury, and the New York Yankees ended a three-game losing streak by beating the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on a rainy Sunday.
Andy Pettitte pitched seven scoreless innings, Johnny Damon homered and Derek Jeter had a three-run double as the Yankees avoided their first three-game sweep in Baltimore since 2005. New York dodged its first four-game skid since last July.
Rodriguez strained his right quadriceps while running out a grounder in the sixth inning. The All-Star third baseman was listed as day-to-day, and he will have an extra day to recover because the Yankees are off Monday.
Earlier, Rodriguez provided Pettitte with all the offense he needed to win his third straight start.
Pettitte (3-1) was the ideal pitcher for a Yankees team that needed a win to get back to .500. The left-hander retired the first 14 batters and ended up yielding only four hits in improving to 23-6 lifetime against Baltimore, including 14-4 at Camden Yards. He struck out five and walked none.
Joba Chamberlain gave up a run in the eighth, only the second earned run he's allowed in 30 1-3 career innings.
The Yankees were 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position during the series before breaking the trend in the fourth inning against Steve Trachsel (1-3). Bobby Abreu walked and stole second before Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui hit successive doubles for a 2-0 lead.
After slumping Jason Giambi bounced into a double play with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth, Damon connected with a man on in the seventh against Chad Bradford — only the second home run off the submariner in a 138-game span.
The Orioles' first baserunner was Jay Payton, who reached with two outs in the fifth on a broken-bat dribbler down the third-base line that was too slow to even warrant a throw from Rodriguez. Adam Jones followed with a single up the middle, but Pettitte retired Guillermo Quiroz on a fly to center.
Brian Roberts reached third with one in the sixth but was stranded, and Kevin Millar was left on after hitting a leadoff double in the seventh.
Chamberlain gave up two hits without getting an out before rain stopped the game for 37 minutes. When play was resumed, Roberts hit a sacrifice fly off Brian Bruney to make it 4-1.
Jeter's third extra-base hit of the year, off George Sherrill in the ninth, came before a second rain delay of 37 minutes.
Notes:@ Pettitte struck out Nick Markakis three times. ... Jones made three outstanding catches in center, including a diving stab of a liner by Jeter in the seventh. ... Giambi went 0-for-3 with a walk and is 5-for-46 (.109) this season.
Reds put David Weathers on DL
April 20, 2008
CINCINNATI (AP) -Right-hander David Weathers went on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a sore arm, forcing the Cincinnati Reds to shuffle the back of their bullpen.
Weathers got a burning sensation near his right elbow when he threw a pitch Saturday during a 5-3, 10-inning loss to Milwaukee. The 38-year-old reliever left the game immediately as a precaution. Tests found no serious injury.
Doctors said he has an irritated nerve in the elbow.
The move opens the way for the Reds to activate right-hander Matt Belisle from the disabled list to start on Monday night against the Dodgers. Belisle replaces right-hander Josh Fogg, who was moved into the bullpen after he struggled in three starts.
Weathers was the Reds' most durable reliever last season, when he saved a career-high 33 games and threw 77 2-3 innings. He became the oldest pitcher in major league history to reach 30 saves for the first time.
Eleven of his saves involved pitching more than one inning. Only Seattle's J.J. Putz had more one-inning-plus saves.
``He's been used a lot,'' manager Dusty Baker said. ``The guy's been on the DL one time in all those years. That's pretty good durability.''
Weathers hadn't been on the disabled list since 2000, when he had a strained muscle in his side. His only other significant injury involved a cut on his pitching hand in 1995.
When the Reds signed closer Francisco Cordero to a four-year, $46 million deal in the offseason, Weathers became the primary set-up man. Right-hander Jared Burton can assume a bigger role while Weathers is gone.
The Reds had lost seven of eight heading into their game Sunday against Milwaukee. Baker thought it best to put Weathers on the disabled list and let him fully recover even if it left the struggling Reds without their set-up man for two weeks.
``We've got five months to go,'' Baker said. ``We can't let the way we're going affect our decision.''
Astros place LHP Wandy Rodriguez on the 15-day DL
April 20, 2008
HOUSTON (AP) -The Houston Astros placed left-handed pitcher Wandy Rodriguez on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a strained left groin.
Houston purchased the contract of left-hander Tim Byrdak from Triple-A Round Rock. The Astros also announced that right-hander Jack Cassel will be recalled to start Thursday at Cincinnati.
Rodriguez pitched four innings Saturday night against Colorado before leaving with the injury. He allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits. He struck out five and walked three.
``He was a little sore this morning,'' manager Cecil Cooper said. ``It's a disappointment because he was pitching so well. It had bothered him the last couple of starts and (Saturday) he didn't wrap it like he had been.''
Rodriguez is 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA in three starts.
``It's disappointing,'' Rodriguez said through an interpreter. ``But it's better this way. I don't want to make it worse.''
General manager Ed Wade did not think the injury would be a long-term problem.
``I've had no indication from (Astros head trainer) Dave Labossiere (on that),'' Wade said. ``He's been pitching great and navigating through whatever mild discomfort he had so our anticipation is after 15 days he'll be ready to go.''
Byrdak had a 3.68 ERA in seven appearances for Round Rock. He was 3-0 with one save and a 3.20 ERA in 39 appearances for Detroit last season. He's 4-5 with three saves and a 5.50 ERA in 144 career appearances.
Cassel is 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts for Round Rock this season. His first year in the major leagues was 2007, when he went 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six games with San Diego.
A's place RHP reliever Foulke on DL with stiff neck
April 20, 2008
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -The Oakland Athletics put right-hander Keith Foulke on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with stiffness in his neck.
Foulke has one save and a 2.57 ERA in seven appearances this season, but hasn't pitched since April 10. The move was retroactive to April 11.
The 35-year-old Foulke came out of retirement in February to sign a $700,000, one-year contract to return to the A's. The deal allows him to earn up to $2.5 million in bonuses. Before this year, the former A's closer last pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2006.
This is the sixth time this season the A's have used the DL. In 2007, the team used it 22 times to tie an Oakland record.