Matsui ready to rejoin Yankees after playing with Class A Tampa
Sat, Apr 21, 2007
By Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui declared himself 100 percent healthy after going 1-for-3 with an RBI in his second rehab assignment with Class A Tampa on Saturday.
Matsui, placed on the 15-day disabled list April 8 with a strained left hamstring, is hoping to rejoin the Yankees on Monday.
''Physically, I'm fine,'' Matsui said through an interpreter. ''I want to join the team as soon as possible and be a strength to them ... help them win.''
Matsui injured the hamstring while running out a grounder on April 7, but said he had ''no worries'' about it now.
Matsui will get simulated at-bats Sunday at the team's training complex in Tampa before being activated Monday. He likely will return to the Yankees' lineup against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays that night in nearby St. Petersburg.
Matsui started in left field and batted third Saturday. On his only hit, an infield single up that middle in the fourth inning, he showed no lingering effects of the injury as he sprinted to first and narrowly beat the throw. He grounded out in each of his other two at-bats.
Matsui left the game after the seventh. He went 2-for-6 in two games with Tampa.
D-Backs put Cruz on DL bring back Nippert
Sat, Apr 21, 2007
By Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Arizona Diamondbacks placed right-hander Juan Cruz on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a strained muscle below the back of his right shoulder and recalled righty Dustin Nippert from Triple-A Tucson.
Cruz, who was 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in seven appearances, injured himself Thursday against San Diego and is expected to come back soon after his 15-day stint is up.
''It wasn't something where we could let it go for two or three days, let him play catch and see where he is,'' manager Bob Melvin said before Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants. ''We had to make the move now.''
Nippert had been optioned to Tucson before Friday's game to make room for lefty Dana Eveland. Nippert had made five relief appearances for Arizona before being sent down, allowing three runs in six innings.
The Diamondbacks will have to make another move before Sunday's series finale to bring up a starter to replace Micah Owings, who was placed on the disabled list Friday with an injured right hamstring.
Right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, acquired late in spring training in a deal with Florida, is scheduled to be recalled from Tucson on Sunday to make the start.
The 22-year-old Petit made his big league debut last year with the Marlins, going 1-1 with a 9.57 ERA in 15 games. The right-hander has been a starter throughout his minor league career.
Petit impressed the Diamondbacks in his one spring training appearance with the team. He allowed one run and three hits in five innings against San Diego in a game played at Chase Field. He walked one and struck out seven in the game.
''He had good command to both sides of the plate and his velocity was better than we'd seen in some reports,'' Melvin said. ''He struggled a little bit in the big leagues as a reliever. His routine seems a little more suited to start.''
Petit was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts for Tucson.
Arizona then will activate Randy Johnson from the disabled list to start Tuesday's home game against the Padres. Johnson, who had back surgery in October, is making his return to Arizona after spending the previous two seasons with the New York Yankees.
Johnson, 43, allowed two runs and six hits in six innings, walking one and striking out seven in his final rehab start for Tucson last Thursday.
''I think he felt good about the last several innings when he picked up the intensity,'' Melvin said. ''Sometimes you feel your way through those rehab assignments. It's not the same type of feel. I expect the intensity to increase that much more.''
Johnson's return will allow Melvin to give reigning NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb and Livan Hernandez an extra day of rest between starts. Webb will pitch Wednesday and Hernandez the following day.
Rockies place Ramirez on disabled list
Sat, Apr 21, 2007
By Associated Press
DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies placed reliever Ramon Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right elbow Saturday and designated pitcher Matt Herges for assignment.
Colorado called up right-handed pitchers Ryan Speier and Bobby Keppel from Triple-A Colorado Springs.
''We had to fill some voids,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ''We've got to have some depth.''
Ramirez, who's pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings over seven appearances this season, was put on the disabled list, retroactive to April 18. He hurt his arm while earning the win against San Francisco on April 17. He's eligible to return May 3.
Speier pitched four innings for the Sky Sox this season and had a 6.75 ERA. Speier hasn't pitched in the majors since Sept. 29, 2005, against the New York Mets.
Keppel was 0-1 with a 4.22 ERA with Colorado Springs this season. He was 0-4 with a 5.50 ERA with Kansas City last season.
''Bobby provides us with depth and obviously Speier has some experience to pitch in a variety of different situations,'' Hurdle said.
Herges was called up from Colorado Springs on Thursday and gave up three earned runs in three innings. Colorado has 10 days to trade, release or outright Herges back to the minors.
Cubs to move Soriano back to LF
Sat, Apr 21, 2007
By Associated Press
CHICAGO -- Alfonso Soriano is expected to rejoin the Chicago Cubs' lineup Monday and when he does, he'll be switched from center field back to left field, where he played last season with the Washington Nationals.
Soriano was out of the lineup Saturday for a fifth straight game after straining his left hamstring last Monday. After running in the outfield, he said he was ready to play but was advised by trainer Mark O'Neal to give the injury two more days to heal.
Manager Lou Piniella said putting Soriano in left would take some of the strain off the hamstring. Soriano, who signed an eight-year, $136 million contract in the offseason, said he was all for the move.
''We're going to put him in left field. We're going to leave him in left field, put him in left field,'' Piniella said Saturday before the game against the Cardinals. ''It will be less running. It will be much better for him. ... He's OK with that, I talked to him about it. He understands.''
Soriano initially balked at being moved from second base to the outfield last year in Washington but ended up making the All-Star team and having 22 assists to go with 46 homers and 41 steals.
This time he embraced the idea of changing after just 12 games in center, although the switch is obviously not as drastic.
''I think it is the best idea just because you know I have like a little injury in my leg, so I think that makes me not run too much,'' Soriano said.
''I want to play no matter what position I play. I felt very comfortable that year I played in left field and I felt very comfortable playing center field in 12 games I play with the Cubs''.
Soriano said he wasn't sure if the switch to left was for the remainder of the season or until his leg is completely healed. He said that was up to Piniella.
''I don't know. He told me it is better for me to move to left field just to recover my leg,'' Soriano said. ''After that I don't know if he wants to leave me in left field or move me back to center field. So it's his option.''
If the Cubs keep rookie Felix Pie, who was called up when Soriano was injured, as their center fielder, they'd have a lot of speed in their lineup. And they'd also have a logjam of outfielders with Jacque Jones, Cliff Floyd and Matt Murton all looking for playing time. And Piniella said he wants to go with 12 pitchers instead of 11.
''I think Pie plays a very good center field but like I said, Lou has the last call,'' Soriano said. ''He's the manager. He decides what he wants to do with the team and me and Pie, too.''
Baseball Today - April 22
Sun, Apr 22, 2007
By Associated Press
Detroit at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EDT). The Los Angeles Angels are 7-2 at home this season.
STARS Saturday
-Jason Marquis, Cubs, pitched seven scoreless innings and Chicago topped the Cardinals 6-0.
-Bartolo Colon, Angels, allowed one run in seven innings in his first big league outing in almost nine months, leading Los Angeles to a 7-6 win over Seattle.
-Cole Hamels, Phillies, struck out a career-high 15 and Philadelphia beat Cincinnati 4-1.
-Carlos Beltran, Mets, went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored in New York's 7-2 win over the Braves.
-J.J. Hardy, Brewers, hit two home runs and had three RBIs in Milwaukee's 6-4 victory over Houston.
BARRY, BARRY GOOD
Barry Zito pitched 7 1-3 scoreless innings, for his second straight scoreless outing, and San Francisco beat Arizona 1-0 on Saturday. The last time Zito had consecutive scoreless starts was Sept. 8 and Sept. 13, 2002, when he blanked Minnesota and Seattle. Barry Bonds hit his 739th career home run in the second leaving him 17 homers away from breaking Hank Aaron's career record of 755.
TURN THREE
The Phillies turned their first triple play in almost eight years and the first in the majors this season in the fifth inning of a 4-1 win over Cincinnati on Saturday night. With Josh Hamilton on second base and Edwin Encarnacion on first, catcher David Ross grounded to Phillies third baseman Abraham Nunez, who stepped on third base to force Hamilton and threw to second baseman Chase Utley to force Encarnacion for the second out. Utley's relay to first baseman Wes Helms caught Ross by a step to complete Philadelphia's first triple play since May 15, 1999, against the New York Mets. The Reds hadn't hit into a triple play since Eddie Taubensee lined into one against San Diego on May 19, 1997.
STREAKING
Alex Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to 21 games dating back to last season in New York's 7-5 loss in Boston. Derek Jeter also extended his hitting streak to 12 games in the loss. ... San Francisco's Rich Aurilia extended his hitting streak to 14 games, matching his career high set last season in Cincinnati, in a 1-0 win over Arizona. ... San Diego's Marcus Giles ran his hitting streak to 11 games in a 7-3 win over Colorado. He had four hits. ... Seattle's losing streak sits at five after a 7-6 loss to Los Angeles.
SNAPPED
The Milwaukee Brewers snapped the Houston Astros' five-game winning streak with a 6-4 victory Saturday night. With the win, Milwaukee jumped over Houston into first place in the National League's Central Division. ... Florida snapped a six-game losing skid with a 9-3 win over Washington Saturday night.
SPEAKING
''I think you just have to have a slow bat and be 35 years old. I hit a lot of balls to right field. That's how I hit. It's nice to be able to drive in some runs. I reacted the way they pitch me. They kept throwing me away. I don't think it is out of the ordinary to hit three balls to right field.''-Minnesota catcher Mike Redmond, on his three opposite-field RBI singles in the Twins' 7-5 win over Kansas City on Saturday.
Dodgers 1B Nomar Garciaparra (rest) is not expected to start Sunday.
Yankees CF Johnny Damon (back) is doubtful
Orioles 2B Brian Roberts (flu) is questionable.
Twins 2B Luis Castillo (quadricep) is questionable
Reds CF Ken Griffey Jr. (sick) is questionable
Howard returns to lineup for Phillies
April 22nd, 2007
Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing the last three games with a sprained ligament in his left knee.
Howard originally suffered the injury while running out a fielder's choice grounder in the 10th inning of Wednesday's 13-inning 5-4 loss to Washington.
The reigning National League MVP finished 0-for-5 in the game and is hitting just .213 with one home run and seven RBI entering Sunday's contest against the Cincinnati Reds.