Thome placed on disabled list
Sun, Apr 29, 2007
By Associated Press
CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox slugger Jim Thome was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a rib cage injury after Chicago's 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Thome, who did not play on Saturday, left Friday's game against the Los Angeles Angels after fouling off a pitch in the first inning. He re-aggravated a right rib cage injury that caused him to miss the two previous games.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he will concentrate on his active roster rather than worry about Thome.
''I never worry. I have nine guys that I believe. Obviously, with Thome there our offense is more dangerous, there is no doubt. If you worry about the stuff you don't have than your are wasting your time,'' said Guillen.
Thome leads the White Sox with a .340 batting average and 25 walks. Thome has 477 career homers.
''It doesn't help. We've got to have Jim in there. Not having Jim in there is definitely going to hurt. It's not our best team,'' said Paul Konerko. ''We just have to try and hold the fort down until he gets back.''
The White Sox recalled outfielder Ryan Sweeney from Triple-A Charlotte. Sweeney hit .256 with two homers for Charlotte. He played in 18 games and hit .229 last season for the White Sox.
Karstens has broken leg after getting hit by liner
Sun, Apr 29, 2007
By Associated Press
NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees lost another starting pitcher Saturday when Jeff Karstens was hit by a line drive, breaking his right leg.
On his first pitch of the game against Boston, Karstens was hit on the side of his knee by Julio Lugo's liner. He won't need surgery and is expected to return this season, team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon said.
''It's not as bad as it could have been,'' Hershon said.
In the clubhouse after the game, Karstens had an air cast on his leg. He won't need a conventional cast, Hershon said.
''They said no throwing tomorrow at least,'' Karstens joked.
The right-hander crumpled to the ground in pain after he was hit by the line drive, and Lugo reached first base with an infield single. A trainer and manager Joe Torre came out of the dugout to check on Karstens, who stayed down for a minute or two before getting up and trying to walk it off.
He received a huge hand from the sellout crowd, threw a few warmup pitches and remained in the game - for the moment.
''I just wanted to stay in there and eat up some innings,'' he said. ''I thought I could keep pitching on it. Come to find out it was cracked - I'm not sure that would've been the smartest thing.''
Karstens (cracked fibula) threw five more pitches, two for strikes. But after he gave up a sharp single to Kevin Youkilis, Torre popped out of the dugout again - with a trainer, again - and pulled the rookie.
It was the latest injury for the team's depleted staff. Already missing starters Mike Mussina (hamstring) and Carl Pavano (forearm), the Yankees picked Karstens over Kei Igawa for Saturday's assignment.
''We've had a lot of stuff happen,'' general manager Brian Cashman said. ''You couldn't print what was going through my head, or what was coming out of my mouth.''
Karstens limped off the mound and was replaced by Igawa, relegated to the bullpen after flopping in his most recent start Monday night against Tampa Bay.
Wearing sunglasses on a cloudy afternoon, Igawa was given as much time as he needed to warm up. The left-hander then shut out the Red Sox for six-plus innings in a 3-1 victory that ended New York's seven-game losing streak, its longest since the final week of the 2000 season.
Karstens wanted updates on the game while he was at the hospital for X-rays, so he sent text messages to a friend who was in the stands at Yankee Stadium. Karstens will go on the disabled list Sunday, and the club will make another move to replace him on the roster.
Karstens (0-1) began the season on the DL with tendinitis in his right elbow. He was in the rotation mainly because of the injuries and ineffectiveness of other Yankees starters. He was roughed up by Boston at Fenway Park in his first outing of the year last Saturday, allowing seven runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings.
New York recently got Chien-Ming Wang back from the disabled list. Wang, a 19-game winner last season and runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award, will make his second start of the season Sunday in the series finale against Boston.
Mussina is slated to return to the rotation Thursday night at Texas. Pavano is scheduled to throw off a mound Sunday, but Cashman said it won't be a full bullpen session.
Karstens was 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA in eight games, including six starts, for the Yankees last season.
Mets 2B Valentin leaves in 4th inning
Sat, Apr 28, 2007
By Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- New York Mets second baseman Jose Valentin left Saturday night's game against the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning with right knee discomfort.
Valentin left the field with one out in the bottom of the fourth, replaced by Damion Easley.
It wasn't clear how Valentin got hurt.
The Mets said he was being evaluated.
Reds acquire minor leaguer, demote Cormier
Sat, Apr 28, 2007
By Associated Press
CINCINNATI --The Cincinnati Reds acquired minor league reliever Marcus McBeth from Oakland on Saturday as part of a trade made a day earlier, and designated left-handed reliever Rheal Cormier for assignment to the minors.
Cincinnati dealt outfielder Chris Denorfia to the Athletics on Friday for two players to be named. On Saturday, they received the 26-year-old McBeth, who went 3-3 with a 3.07 ERA and 32 saves last season with three of Oakland's minor league teams.
McBeth was the closer at Triple-A Sacramento this season. He will join Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.
The Reds will get one more player from the Athletics at some point.
Cincinnati also made a move with its wobbly bullpen on Saturday, recalling right-hander Brad Salmon from Louisville to replace Cormier. The left-hander gave up three runs in three innings over six appearances.
Carpenter throws bullpen session
Sun, Apr 29, 2007
By Associated Press
ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter, sidelined since opening day by an elbow injury, threw a bullpen session Saturday in the latest step in his rehab.
''He had a good throw, he felt fine,'''' manager Tony La Russa said. ''The big key is tomorrow. We need to make sure he bounces back the way he''s supposed to.''''
Carpenter, a 15-game winner last year, began playing catch on Tuesday after a two-week layoff. His session on Saturday was his first off a mound since he encountered swelling a day after the opener.
The Cardinals need to fill a hole in the rotation on Tuesday at Milwaukee after optioning left-hander Randy Keisler, the fill-in for three of Carpenter''s starts, to Triple-A Memphis. But La Russa reiterated that Carpenter would not be ready in time.
''He''s got to come in tomorrow ready to go, and then you can get serious about a program,'''' La Russa said. ''Best case is we''re going to be very careful and give him everything he needs.''''
Baseball Today - April 29
Sun, Apr 29, 2007
By Associated Press
Chicago at St. Louis (8:05 p.m. EDT). Rich Hill will get the start for the Cubs tonight. He is sporting a 1.57 ERA on the season.
STARS Saturday
-Justin Morneau, Twins, had three hits, including a home run, and scored three times and Minnesota beat Detroit 11-3.
-Kei Igawa, Yankees, pitched six scoreless innings of relief and New York beat Boston 3-1.
-Matt Belisle, Reds, threw a complete game five-hitter for his third win of the year and Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh 8-1.
-Craig Biggio, Astros, had a triple and three RBIs and Houston beat Milwaukee 10-1.
-Miguel Cabrera, Marlins, went 5-for-5 with four singles and a solo homer and Florida beat Philadelphia 11-5.
CHASING AARON
Barry Bonds hit 742nd home run Saturday night, moving within 13 of Hank Aaron''s career record. It was Bonds'' eighth home run of the season - in 56 at-bats, but San Francisco lost 5-4 at Arizona.
STRANGE PLAY
Umpires added a run to Baltimore''s total three innings after it appeared to be waved off in the third and the Orioles beat Cleveland 7-4 Saturday night. The bizarre sequence started with Baltimore leading 2-1 in the top of the third. Ramon Hernandez hit a line drive to center field that Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore caught and Nick Markakis, who was on third, tagged up and headed for home and appeared to cross the plate before Miguel Tejada was doubled off first. Yet, plate umpire Marvin Hudson waved off the run. The umpiring crew conferred separately with Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo and Cleveland''s Eric Wedge twice after the top of the third. After the Indians scored a run in the fifth to tie it at 2, it was announced in the bottom of the sixth that the Orioles'' run in the third had counted, giving Baltimore a 3-2 lead. The Indians then announced they were playing the game under protest.
STREAKS
Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 16 games, the longest active streak in the AL, in the Yankees'' 3-1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday. ... Aaron Rowand extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games in Philadelphia''s 11-5 loss to Florida. ... Minnesota''s Torii Hunter extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games in an 11-3 win over Detroit. It was the Twins'' fifth straight win against the Tigers. ... The Cubs'' Carlos Zambrano is unbeaten against St. Louis in his last eight starts, going 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA (58 2-3 innings) over that stretch. With the 8-1 win, the Cubs have now won three in a row for the first time since Sept. 16-18 of last season. Albert Pujols extended his hitting streak to eight games with a home run for the Cardinals.
SNAPPED
The Yankees snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday, avoiding their first eight-game skid since August 1995. ... The Astros snapped a seven-game skid with a 10-1 win over the Brewers. It also marked the first time the Brewers scored fewer than two runs in a game this season. ... Baltimore snapped a five-game losing streak with a 7-4 win over Cleveland, ending the Indians'' six-game winning streak.
SIDELINED
White Sox slugger Jim Thome was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a rib cage injury after Chicago''s 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night. Thome, who did not play on Saturday, left Friday''s game against the Los Angeles Angels after fouling off a pitch in the first inning. He re-aggravated a right rib cage injury that caused him to miss the two previous games. The White Sox recalled outfielder Ryan Sweeney from Triple-A Charlotte. Sweeney hit .256 with two homers for Charlotte.
STRUGGLING
Seattle starter Jeff Weaver recorded just one out in an 8-3 loss to Kansas City on Saturday, while giving up seven hits and six runs. Winless, and with an ERA already in double-figures, Weaver may have cemented his removal from Seattle''s rotation. Signed for $8.325 million in the offseason, Weaver surrendered five consecutive hits to start the game.
SPEAKING
''They said no throwing tomorrow at least.'''' - Yankees starting pitcher Jeff Karstens after breaking his leg in New York''s 3-1 win over Boston on Saturday. On his first pitch of the game against Boston, Karstens was hit on the side of his knee by Julio Lugo''s liner. He won''t need surgery and is expected to return this season, team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon said.
Orioles activate Jaret Wright off DL
April 29th, 2007
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - The Baltimore Orioles have activated pitcher Jaret Wright off the 15-day disabled list. He had been sidelined since April 11 with right shoulder soreness.
Wright was scheduled to start Sunday's game against Cleveland. He entered the contest with a record of 0-2 and a 6.14 earned run average in two starts this season.
Acquired by the Orioles in the offseason, Wright has a career mark of 68-59 with a 5.08 ERA in 11 seasons for the Indians, Braves, Padres, Yankees and Orioles.
The Orioles opened a roster spot for Wright by optioning pitcher Jim Johnson to Triple-A Norfolk. Johnson appeared in just one game for the Orioles this season, allowing two runs and three hits with two walks in two innings of an April 25 outing against Boston.
Red Sox JD Drew is not in the starting lineup.
Indians David Dellucci is in the starting lineup.
Twins Luis Castillo is not in the starting lineup.
Tigers Ivan Rodriguez is in the starting lineup.
Yankees Johnny Damon is back in center field today and is in the starting lineup.
Pirates Xavier Nady is not in the starting lineup.
Phillies Ryan Howard is in the starting lineup.
Reds Ken Griffey Jr. is not in the starting lineup.
Phillies Pat Burrell is not in the starting lineup.