MLB News and Notes July - 23

Houston's Pence sprains wrist
July 22nd, 2007

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence suffered a sprained right wrist during Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pence was hurt in the fourth inning while swinging at a pitch. As he popped up to first, he dropped the bat in pain and did not return to the field for the bottom of the inning.

Luke Scott replaced Pence and drove in the game's only run with a sixth-inning single in Houston's 1-0 victory.

Pence, in 73 games of his rookie season, leads the Astros with a .330 batting average. He also has 12 home runs with 45 runs batted in.

Troubled Olsen joins Marlins on trip
July 22, 2007

MIAMI (AP) -Florida Marlins left-hander Scott Olsen departed on a road trip with the team Sunday despite his troubles of the past week, including a two-game suspension and an early-morning arrest after he allegedly fought with police.

Olsen was still scheduled to take his regular turn in the rotation at Arizona, manager Fredi Gonzalez said, although the decision wasn't final.

``We're still kicking it around,'' Gonzalez said. ``For right now, he's starting on Wednesday.''

Olsen was arrested around 4 a.m. Saturday after refusing to pull over and getting into a fight with police. He was booked on charges of driving under the influence, resisting an officer with violence and fleeing and eluding an officer.

Police say the 6-foot-5 Olsen kicked them when they tried to arrest him at his house, and they used a stun gun to subdue him. He had bruises on his forehead Sunday.

The arrest came hours after Olsen pitched seven innings and earned a victory against the Cincinnati Reds - his first game since serving a two-game suspension for insubordination and conduct detrimental to the team. The suspension stemmed from a confrontation July 15 with pitcher Sergio Mitre.

Following Friday's game, Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis said, Olsen spent time at Willis' house before they left separately. Willis said he was riding with a friend and on his way back home when Olsen called him after being arrested.

Willis and his companion went to Olsen's house. When they arrived, Olsen was in a police car.

``I took pride in going over there,'' Willis said. ``Right or wrong, he's my friend and I care about him.''

Willis said he talked to police but not to Olsen, who was by himself. Willis said he did talk with Olsen later.

``I told him things I went through in my life, and he could relate to that,'' Willis said. ``He needs to have love around him and somebody positive around him.''

Willis was arrested in December on a drunken-driving charge in Miami Beach, and the case is pending.

Olsen went 12-10 as a rookie last year, but he also scuffled with teammates at least twice, coming away from one encounter with a black eye. He also had a dugout confrontation with then-manager Joe Girardi.

Last month, Olsen was fined an unspecified amount for making an obscene gesture toward fans in Milwaukee.

``He's a good kid,'' Willis said. ``He cares about people. He put himself in some unfortunate situations, but he's not a bad guy, and he'll prove that.''

Olsen didn't talk to reporters Sunday.

Baseball Today - July 23
By Associated Press

SCOREBOARD Monday, July 23

Atlanta at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EDT). Barry Bonds looks to continue his pursuit of Hank Aaron as he faces the Braves' John Smoltz.

STARS Sunday

-Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, pitched a three-hitter to lead Toronto past Seattle 8-0.

-J.D. Durbin, Phillies, pitched his first career shutout in Philadelphia's 9-0 victory over San Diego.

-Shelley Duncan, Yankees, homered twice and the New York Yankees routed Tampa Bay 21-4.

-Woody Williams, Astros, threw eight shutout innings in Houston's 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh.

-Chip Ambres, Mets, singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning to lead New York to a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

BLITZED

The New York Yankees had 25 hits in Sunday's 21-4 rout of Tampa Bay, reaching 20 in consecutive games for the first time Aug. 23 and 25, 1902 - when the team was playing in Baltimore. The Yankees hit six home runs in a game for the first time in two years. They took three of four from the Devil Rays, hitting .408 in the series with 49 runs, 62 hits and 11 homers.

IN SHORT ORDER

Ryan Braun hit his 15th homer in the first inning of Milwaukee's 7-5 victory over San Francisco on Sunday. Braun's 15th homer came in his 50th game, making him the fastest player to hit 15 home runs in the major leagues since Albert Pujols (15 in 49 games) in 2001.

BLANKED

Four Washington pitchers combined on a second consecutive shutout of Colorado in the Nationals' 3-0 victory Sunday. The Rockies went 0-for-28 with runners in scoring position in the series. No team had gone an entire series with that many hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position since May 31-June 2, 1991, when the Montreal Expos went 0-for-28 against the Chicago Cubs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

LATE SURGE

Skip Schumaker hit a two-run home run and Scott Rolen added a three-run homer in the 10th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 7-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night. Schumaker, who entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter, drove an 0-1 pitch from Tyler Yates over the right-field fence for his second homer.

SPEAKING

''I've never seen anything like it. Even in batting practice you don't get hits every time you swing the bat.'' - Yankees manager Joe Torre after New York had 25 hits, reaching 20 in consecutive games for the first time in more than 100 years in a 21-4 rout of the Devil Rays on Sunday. On Saturday, the Yankees had 20 in a 17-5 win that finished off a day-night doubleheader sweep.

Notes from Sunday's AL games
July 22, 2007

SEATTLE: RHP Mark Lowe (right shoulder surgery) pitched at Double-A West Tennessee Saturday and showed increased velocity. ``It sounded like a real good outing for him,'' manager John McLaren said. ... With a doubleheader looming against Texas on Tuesday, McLaren said he'll likely start OF Ichiro Suzuki at designated hitter in one of the two games to give him a break from the Texas heat. ... Seattle's 8-0 loss to Toronto on Sunday was its first defeat in seven games started by OF Jason Ellison. ... The Mariners were shutout Sunday for the second straight game. The last time they suffered consecutive shutouts was April 7-8, 2006, against Oakland.

TORONTO: Blue Jays pitchers allowed just 12 hits over their three-game series against Seattle. It's the fewest hits the staff has allowed in a three-game series since a sweep of Colorado from June 7-9, 2002. ... 3B Troy Glaus hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning of Sunday's 8-0 victory, snapping a 53-inning drought for Toronto batters. ... DH Frank Thomas walked in the second inning, giving him 1,602 career walks. That's the second-highest total among active players, behind San Francisco's Barry Bonds (2,524). ... RHP Roy Halladay has thrown three complete games this season, tied for the major league lead.

TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon expects injured OF Carl Crawford (left ankle) to play Tuesday. The Rays are off on Monday. ... Workhorse starter James Shields is on pace for well over 200 innings this year, which would make him the third Devil Ray to do so. Tanyon Sturtze threw 224 innings in 2002 and Rolando Arrojo went 202 in 1998, the Devil Rays' first season. ... Shawn Camp allowed three home runs in 1 1-3 innings. Alex Rodriguez, Bobby Abreu and Shelley Duncan all took him deep. ... The Devil Rays used five pitchers and threw 216 pitches in a game that lasted 3 hours, 50 minutes. Shields was followed by Casey Fossum, Camp, Gary Glover and Scott Dohmann. Glover pitched 1 2-3 perfect innings, while everyone else allowed at least three runs and a homer.

NEW YORK: C Jose Molina, acquired in a trade Saturday night, arrived just in time for the fireworks. His flight was delayed, but he got to Yankee Stadium with the score tied at 3, then watched his new team score 18 more runs in a 21-4 win Sunday. He would have been available if starter Jorge Posada needed to come out. ... The Yankees' 10-run fourth was their highest-scoring inning since they got 10 last Sept. 4 at Kansas City. ... Hideki Matsui, who has nine homers in 17 games, had five hits, including a homer off Shields, for a regular-season career best. He also five hits in Game 3 of the 2004 AL championship series. ... The Yankees' last game with six homers was July 20, 2005, at Texas.

CHICAGO: LHP Mark Buehrle will make his first home start on Monday since signing a four-year $56 million contract extension on July 8. ... OF Jermaine Dye had his second two-double game of the season on Sunday. ... RHP Jon Garland has allowed at least one first-inning run in five straight starts for a total of 13 runs. ... The White Sox are tied for last place in the AL Central with the Kansas City Royals. Before Sunday's game, Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said he has received support from former Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker. ``He said, 'You're the biggest supporter I have besides my family. That's why I called you to make sure you know I'm behind you,''' Guillen said. ``I appreciated that.''

BOSTON: DH David Ortiz missed his second game with a left shoulder strain on Sunday. An MRI taken Saturday showed no structural damage, and Ortiz said he expects to return to the lineup soon. ... RHP Curt Schilling, who pitched three scoreless innings in a minor league rehab outing for Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday, will have his next rehab start on Thursday. ``We're hoping he can come back and pitch with a vengeance,'' Boston manager Terry Francona said. ... LHP Jon Lester will start at Cleveland on Monday. It will be his first major league appearance since beating the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 23 last year. The Red Sox said nine days later that he had a treatable form of lymphoma. ... The Red Sox will designate RHP Joel Pineiro for assignment on Monday to make room for Lester.

KANSAS CITY: Sunday's win over the Tigers improved Kansas City to 9-7 in July. The Royals went 15-12 in June, snapping a streak of 22 straight losing months. ``We're getting better, there's no doubt about that,'' Kansas City manager Buddy Bell said. ``This team is really working hard.'' ... The win moved the Royals into a tie with the Chicago White Sox for fourth place. Kansas City has not finished out of the AL Central cellar since 2003. ... Billy Butler (7-for-14) and Mark Grudzielanek (9-for-15) both dominated Tigers pitching in the series. Grudzielanek is hitting .431 (22-for-51) since coming off the disabled list on July 6.

DETROIT: This season, the Tigers are 32-17 on the road, but only 26-21 at home. ``We enjoy coming home and playing in front of the big crowds,'' said leftfielder Craig Monroe. ``For some reason, it just ain't happening. I have no idea why.'' ... Sunday was the 12th straight sellout at Comerica Park, extending the longest streak since the stadium opened in 2000. Detroit has sold out 24 of 47 home games this year, and have already sold enough tickets to guarantee breaking the park's attendance record. ... Detroit had four extra-base hits, and have at least one in 57 straight games. The Tigers lead the majors with 366.

LOS ANGELES: Chone Figgins has gained a reputation as one of the better baserunners in the league, but he had a blunder on Sunday. Standing at second with one out in the second inning, Orlando Cabrera lifted a fly ball into foul territory in right. Figgins casually rounded third base, but RF Darnell McDonald caught the ball. Figgins raced back to second to tag up and beat the throw, but was called out on an appeal by the Twins because he didn't touch third base again on his way back. Manager Mike Scioscia argued, but to no avail. ... CF Nathan Haynes needed attention from the trainers in the sixth when a line drive by Justin Morneau bounced off the turf and hit him in the throat. ``It just shocked me right quick, but I was OK,'' Haynes said. ``Swallowing was tough for a little bit, but I was all right after that.''

MINNESOTA: There was some worry around the clubhouse that 2B Luis Castillo may be delayed in traveling with the team to Toronto. The Dominican left his citizen resident visa at home in Miami, so he had a friend flying up to the Twin Cities on Sunday to bring it to him. It was too late to get it there by mail. The plan was for Castillo to meet his friend at the airport, then hop on the team plane to Toronto. Without the visa, Castillo can't get into Canada. ``Just a mistake,'' manager Ron Gardenhire said through gritted teeth. ... Backup C Mike Redmond still felt pain in an injured knuckle on his left middle finger, but took some batting cage swings and said it felt better on Sunday. He said he should be ready to go for the Toronto series.

CLEVELAND: Manager Eric Wedge downplayed a 25-minute closed-door meeting after Saturday night's game. ``There was nothing negative about it,'' Wedge said. ``It doesn't mean anything needs to be ironed out. We're a close group of guys. It was just a chance to sit down and talk.'' ... Victor Martinez made his 15th start at first base Sunday. The two-time All-Star catcher has made 71 starts behind the plate.

TEXAS: SS Michael Young played in his 1,000th career game on Sunday night, a point of pride for the Rangers' team leader. ``I've got a long way to go in my career,'' Young said. ``This is the first big number. I've played when I'm banged up. When I look back, I'll look at how many games I've played. That's the most important thing to me.'' ... CF Kenny Lofton was not in manager Ron Washington's original lineup after missing one game and most of another with a sore right big toe from a foul ball, but after running in the outfield and taking batting practice, Lofton was inserted into the leadoff spot. Marlon Byrd was originally set to play CF but was moved to RF.

BALTIMORE: Manager Dave Trembley hopes to get a chance to meet Cal Ripken, Jr. on Tuesday when the Hall of Fame inductee is honored by the Orioles on ``Ripken Hall of Fame Send-Off Night,'' before playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. ``It certainly will be nice to be there in person,'' Trembley said. ``I hope to spend a couple of minutes and talk to him. I know it will be busy for him that day but it would certainly be a thrill to do that. I'd like to get inside his head for a little bit, find out what his drive was all these years. It has to be more than just love of the game.'' ... OF Jon Knott was in the starting lineup, his fourth appearance since being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on July 14. He's hitless in six previous at_bats. ``His pre-game work has been good,'' Trembley said. ``He's been working with (Terry) Crowley on leveling out his swing a little bit. A guy in his position, it's tough because his times are spotty.'' ... SS Miguel Tejada says his fractured wrist has healed and wants to play Friday against the Yankees. Tejada has not played since June 22, after playing in 1,152 consecutive games.

OAKLAND: RHP Huston Street is expected to be activated in time for Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. ``We're 95 percent sure,'' manager Bob Geren said. ``I won't use him to close games the first outing or two. I want to make sure he's ready.'' ... RHP Esteban Loaiza is headed to the A's spring training home in Phoenix to throw a simulated game on Monday. Loaiza has been on the disabled list since the end of March with spasms in his right trapezius. Geren said Loaiza could be ready for a rehab assignment by July 31. ... C Rob Bowen became the 47th player used by the A's when he started Sunday's game. That's the second-most players used by the A's to the 49 who played in 1997.

Notes from Sunday's NL games
July 22, 2007

ARIZONA: Manager Bob Melvin said LHP Randy Johnson will play catch on Monday and then possibly pitch in a simulated game on Tuesday. Johnson, who has been bothered by a sore back, has made 10 starts this season for Arizona with a 4-3 record and a 3.81 ERA. ``Obviously after he plays catch (Monday) will dictate whether or not we think he should throw a simulated game on Tuesday,'' Melvin said, adding that a simulated game would probably consist of Johnson throwing two 20-pitch innings. .... RHP Juan Cruz, who pitched three scoreless and hitless innings in Saturday's win against the Cubs, was unavailable on Sunday and Melvin said he will likely rest him against the Marlins on Monday. ... Arizona combined for its fourth shutout of the season. ... 1B Conor Jackson was 4-for-8 over the three-game series against the Cubs.

CHICAGO: Manager Lou Piniella rested Bob Howry, who pitched in three consecutive games and gave up the go-ahead home run to Arizona's Stephen Drew in Saturday's loss. Piniella said Howry would be ready to go Tuesday. ... RHP Kerry Wood was back in Chicago for his charity bowling function on Sunday, after giving up one run in an inning of work during a rehab assignment in the Arizona rookie league. ``He still has a ways to go. To his credit, he's worked hard and put himself in a position where he is on the radar screen for us,'' Piniella said. ... The Cubs lost back-to-back games for the first time since June 20-21 at Texas.

SAN FRANCISCO: Dave Machemer, who was managing the Giants' Double-A Connecticut affiliate, has been reassigned to major league scout. Shane Turner was moved from roving instructor to manager of the struggling Double-A club. ... Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti is scheduled to rejoin the team Monday after missing the series in Milwaukee to attend to personal matters in the Bay Area. ... 2B Ray Durham was scratched from the starting lineup Sunday due to a stiff neck, but he struck out while pinch-hitting in the eighth. ... Pedro Feliz homered in the seventh, and has tied his career-high with a 10-game hitting streak.

MILWAUKEE: CF Bill Hall will begin a rehab assignment Monday with the Rookie Arizona Brewers. Hall has been on the DL since July 6 because of a sprained right ankle and is expected to play with the minor league team Monday and Tuesday. ... 3B Ryan Braun hit his 15th home run Sunday in his 50th major-league game, the quickest any major leaguer has gotten to 15 home runs since Albert Pujols did it in 49 games with St. Louis in 2001. After homering against LHP Barry Zito Sunday, Braun is batting .509 (27-53) with nine homers and 21 RBI against left-handers. ... After winning Sunday, the team is 14-3 when RHP Claudio Vargas starts.

COLORADO: There is no timetable for LHP Brian Fuentes' return from the 15-day disabled list. ``The guy's not throwing off a mound,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. Fuentes, who has been sidelined because of a strained muscle on his left side since July 3, was eligible to return on July 19. He played catch before Thursday's game, but has only stretched before this weekend's games. Fuentes will need a rehabilitation assignment before returning, Hurdle said. ... Prior to Sunday, the Rockies had not been shut out in consecutive games since Aug. 30-31, 2003, at the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the fourth time in franchise history that Colorado has been blanked in two straight games.

WASHINGTON: RHP Jesus Colome, on the 15-day disabled list since June 24 following surgery for a soft-tissue infection in his right buttocks, is scheduled to report to the Nationals' minor league complex in Viera, Fla., on Monday to begin several days of workouts, including leg strengthening exercises. He will return to Washington to be examined by team doctors on Friday, then head back to Viera. ... The Nationals will summon a minor league pitcher to start one game of Saturday's day-night doubleheader at Shea Stadium. ``We haven't made the decision yet,'' manager Manny Acta said. Among the possibilities are RHP Joel Hanrahan, who is 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA at Triple-A Columbus, or LHP John Lannan, who is 3-1 with a 1.75 ERA for the Clippers.

CINCINNATI: 3B Jeff Keppinger wasn't inclined to celebrate his career-high four hits in Sunday's loss at Florida. ``It's great to have a good day,'' he said, ``but I'll take 0-for-6 if we win the ball game.'' ... LF Adam Dunn went 2-for-5, hiking his average in day games to .340. ... SS Pedro Lopez went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, and is 0-for-9 this season. ... 1B Jeff Conine went 3-for-20 on the Reds' 11-game trip, dropping his average to .256.

FLORIDA: With Barry Bonds on the verge of the career home run record, LHP Dontrelle Willis is scheduled to face him Saturday in San Francisco. ``I'll definitely have a good seat,'' Willis said. ``I'm not the only person he hit a home run off of, if he does.'' ... 3B Miguel Cabrera is batting .452 (19-for-42) with six homers and 12 RBIs during his 12-game hitting streak. The streak has raised his average to .333. ... LF Josh Willingham had consecutive singles off Cincinnati left-handers Sunday, hiking his average against lefties this year to .187 (17-for-91).

HOUSTON: RHP Brandon Backe, out all season after having right elbow surgery 10 months ago, will pitch a simulated game Monday before going on a minor league rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Corpus Christi. The Astros expect him to make six minor league starts before returning to them about Sept. 1. Backe was limited to eight appearances last season after going 10-8 with a 4.76 ERA in 2005. ... 1B Lance Berkman (swollen left hand) didn't start any of the three games in Pittsburgh, but is expected to be in the lineup again Monday against the Dodgers. ... Chris Sampson (7-6) faces the Dodgers for the first time in his career Monday.

PITTSBURGH: SS Cesar Izturis made his first start with the Pirates on Sunday since being acquired in a trade with the Cubs on Thursday, showing off his Gold Glove with several good plays in the field. ... RHP Ian Snell continues to await word on a possible fine for accusing the Rockies of stealing signs against him in a losing start Wednesday. At the time, Snell said he knew who was responsible and would ``kill that dude'' the next time he faced Colorado. Snell has since called Rockies manager Clint Hurdle to apologize. ... The Pirates' seven victories against the Astros are their most since they won eight in 2001.

CARDINALS: The Cardinals optioned LHP Troy Cate to Triple-A Memphis and recalled RHP Kelvin Jimenez. ... The Cardinals need a win to finish their 10-game road trip, longest of the season, at .500. The Cards next 10 games are against Central division teams, including four against division leader Milwaukee, three games against the second-place Chicago Cubs, all at home, and three at Pittsburgh. ... The Cards are first in the NL with 42 pinch hits. Ryan Ludwick leads the team with eight. ... 3B Scott Rolen started for the first time since getting a cortisone shot in his left shoulder, which has been bothering him since earlier this season. He had surgery on the shoulder in 2005. ``I'm comfortable,'' said Rolen. ``I'm not hurt. I'm physically limited. My job is to go out there and play. So I'm going to play. I'm not going to hurt myself.''

BRAVES: RHP Peter Moylan, who lives in Australia during the off-season, became a father for the second time on Friday when his wife Tracey gave birth to a daughter, Matisse Ava. He spoke to his wife moments after the delivery. ... Sunday night's game was Atlanta's 50th appearance on ESPN Sunday Night baseball and fourth this season. Atlanta was 29-20 in those games. ... Willie Harris, who went 6-for-6 in Saturday night's 14-6 win, had been 5-for-37 (.135) in his previous 11 games. ... During his first stint with the Braves, first baseman Julio Franco played almost exclusively against left-handers, but manager Bobby Cox has put him in the lineup for the third time in four games and second against a right-handed starter, including St. Louis RHP Brad Thompson. Franco was picked up Thursday when the New York Mets waived the 48-year-old. He hit .200 in 58 at bats with the Mets and was 1-for-8 (.125) for Atlanta prior to Sunday night. He was 1-for-3 with two RBIs on Thursday, his first back with the Braves since 2005. Cox said he wanted to start Franco so the 48-year-old could get more at_bats. ... OF Matt Diaz leads the majors with 12 pinch hits. He's 12-for-28 (.429).

PHILADELPHIA: RHP Brett Myers will make his next rehab start Monday with Single-A Clearwater. Myers has been on the 15-day DL since May 24 because of a right shoulder strain. ... 1B Ryan Howard, who hit a pair of towering home runs off LHP David Wells Saturday night in the Phillies' 12-4 win, leads all major league players with 12 home runs and 32 RBI against left-handers.

SAN DIEGO: After losing 9-0 to the Phillies Sunday, the Padres had given up seven or more runs in three straight games for the first time since last July 14-17. ... Rookie RHP Kevin Cameron continues his impressive season out of the bullpen. Cameron, who threw 1 2-3 scoreless innings Saturday night against Philadelphia, lowered his ERA to 0.52, lowest in the majors among relievers with more than 10 innings. Cameron, who has allowed two earned runs in 34 1-3 innings, stranded two inherited runners on Saturday and has yet to allow any of his 13 inherited runners to score.

NEW YORK: With the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline less than 1 1-2 weeks away, manager Willie Randolph said he's going to leave any player personnel decisions to general manager Omar Minaya and keep his thoughts to himself - unless they are solicited. ``That's stuff that the front office will dictate,'' Randolph said. ``I don't believe in going to the front office people and telling them what I want or what I need. I go to battle with these guys and I like the guys I have.''

LOS ANGELES: Closer Takashi Saito is scheduled for an MRI exam on Monday in Los Angeles, and will rejoin the team in Houston. He sat out his fourth straight game, while setup man Jonathan Broxton squandered a one-run lead in the ninth inning by virtue of RF Matt Kemp's fielding error that allowed the tying run to score. ... CF Juan Pierre went 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at 14 games. ... RHP Derek Lowe, making only his second relief appearance since 2001 and his first since last Aug. 29, pitched a perfect seventh against the Mets after giving up eight earned runs and 10 hits in three innings and throwing 81 pitches in the opener of the four-game series. ... Rafael Furcal's home run was his second leadoff homer this season and 20th of his career.

Athletics activate Street from DL
July 23rd, 2007

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics activated closer Huston Street from the 15-day disabled list Monday.

The 23-year-old Street was placed on the DL May 13 with an irritation in his right ulnar nerve. In 18 appearances before the injury, Street was 2-1 with nine saves and a 2.50 earned run average.

On a rehab assignment for Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday, Street allowed one hit and struck out two in one inning of work.

Oakland also designated outfielder Bobby Kielty for assignment. Kielty was hitting just .200 with three RBI in 13 games for the A's this season.

D-Rays put Witasick on DL
July 23rd, 2007

St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays placed pitcher Jay Witasick on the 15-day disabled list Monday due to a strained right elbow.

Witasick appeared in 15 games for the Rays after signing as a free agent on June 12 and he's 1-0 with a 6.15 ERA in 31 combined games with Oakland and Tampa Bay this season. He was released by the A's on June 7.

The Rays also optioned left-handed pitcher J.P. Howell to Triple-A Durham and recalled right-handed pitchers Jason Hammel and Juan Salas from Durham.

Padres recall P Hampson
July 23rd, 2007

Denver, CO (Sports Network) - The San Diego Padres recalled pitcher Justin Hampson from Triple-A Portland on Monday.

Hampson is 2-2 with a 2.30 earned run average in 16 relief appearances with San Diego this season. The 27-year-old left-hander was claimed off waivers by the Padres on October 11, 2006 from the Colorado Rockies -- San Diego's opponent on Monday.

On Sunday, the Padres optioned pitcher Royce Ring to Portland following their 9-0 loss to Philadelphia. Ring, 26, is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 15 relief appearances with San Diego.