MLB News and Notes July - 26

Royals release Elarton
July 25th, 2007

Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - The Kansas City Royals released struggling starting pitcher Scott Elarton on Wednesday.

Elarton went 2-4 with a robust 10.46 ERA in nine starts this season for the Royals. In his last outing on Tuesday against the Yankees, Elarton was charged with six hits and seven runs in just 1 2/3 innings in his first start after being activated from the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right foot.

Signed by Kansas City prior to 2005, Elarton went 4-9 with a 5.34 ERA in 2006 before shoulder surgery cut his season short after 20 starts.

In nine major league seasons with Houston, Colorado, Cleveland and Kansas City, Elarton has gone 56-60 with a 5.31 ERA in 224 games, including 170 starts.

The Royals have yet to make a corresponding roster move.

Brewers acquire Linebrink from Padres
July 25th, 2007

Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers strengthened their bullpen on Wednesday, acquiring relief pitcher Scott Linebrink from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league pitchers Joe Thatcher, Will Inman and Steve Garrison.

In 44 games this season, Linebrink is 3-3 with a 3.80 earned run average. The 30-year-old also has one save and is holding hitters to a .240 batting average.

"One of our primary goals heading into the trade deadline was to add a quality pitcher to the bullpen," said Milwaukee executive vice president and general manager Doug Melvin. "We feel that this move addresses that goal. Scott has been one of the top setup men in baseball in recent years and he will be a valuable addition to the staff as we move forward in our quest to earn a postseason berth."

In 357 career appearances with San Francisco, Houston and San Diego, Linebrink is 28-13 with a 3.19 ERA and four saves.

Inman was a third-round pick of Brewers in the 2005 draft while Garrison was a 10th-round pick in the same draft.

Notes from Wednesday's AL games
July 25, 2007

MINNESOTA: The Twins demoted OF Darnell McDonald to Triple-A Rochester after Wednesday's game and are expected to promote 3B Brian Buscher before Friday's game at Cleveland. Buscher, 26, was batting .319 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 34 games at Rochester. ... 1B Justin Morneau picked up his 86th RBI with a fourth-inning single. Morneau has 86 RBIs, second most in the major leagues behind Alex Rodriguez (100). ... LHP Dennys Reyes allowed two earned runs Wednesday, the first time he has given up an earned run in 18 appearances since coming off the disabled list June 14.

TORONTO: The Blue Jays matched a season-high by scoring 13 runs Wednesday and matched a franchise record with 11 runs in the sixth inning. The last time Toronto scored 11 runs in an inning was April 26, 1995, against Oakland. ... DH Frank Thomas walked twice Wednesday, giving him 1,605 career walks. He's tied with Darrell Evans for 10th all time. ... Blue Jays starters are 6-1 with a 2.10 ERA in the team's past seven games. ... Toronto is 24-10 at home since May 11, the best home winning percentage in the major leagues.

BOSTON: The Red Sox entered play Wednesday with a .277 team average, fifth in the AL. Manager Terry Francona said he likes the job Dave Magadan is doing in his first year as Red Sox hitting coach. ``I'd love to have everybody hitting .300 with 30 homers,'' Francona said. ``But I like how Mags works well with and helps every hitter on the team. He's very knowledgeable and breaks things down where each guy understands what he's talking about.'' ... Francona said he intends to try and rest his regulars at various intervals in the next few weeks, starting with 3B Mike Lowell and SS Julio Lugo. ... RHP Brendan Donnelly, sidelined since June 17 with a strained right forearm, played catch from 90 feet as he continues his recovery.

CLEVELAND: Jacobs Field was turned into Boston's home away from home during the first two games of this four-game series as vocal Red Sox fans, despite being outnumbered, made their presence felt with near nonstop cheering. Indians ace C.C. Sabathia found it disgraceful. ``It's a little embarrassing, to be honest,'' said Sabathia, who lost a 1-0 decision on Tuesday night. ``I was here when we were selling out. It's a little embarrassing to have so many Boston fans chanting ``Youuk'' when (Kevin) Youkilis comes up. ... That's not Cleveland.'' ... LHP Aaron Fultz threw a bullpen session before Wednesday's game, moving him closer to returning from a strained muscle in his rib cage. Fultz has been on the disabled list since June 27.

TAMPA BAY: The Devil Rays expect two players back on the roster by Friday, in time for their weekend series with Boston. LHP Casey Fossum will rejoin the team after his wife, Kim, gave birth to their third child in Bradenton. He had left the team prior to the series with Baltimore. C Josh Paul (left elbow strain) also is expected to come off the disabled list after he finishes his rehab assignment with Double-A Montgomery. ... Manager Joe Maddon said SS Brendan Harris will get a rest Thursday after starting 84 of the last 89 games. Maddon said Josh Wilson will start in his place.

BALTIMORE: The Orioles placed RHP Chris Ray (elbow) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled RHP Cory Doyne from Triple-A Norfolk. Ray, Baltimore's closer, will rest for about three weeks to reduce inflammation in his arm. ... SS Miguel Tejada played six innings for Double-A Bowie on Wednesday and reported no pain near his left wrist. Tejada will play with Class-A Frederick on Thursday, and if he feels OK, will return from the 154-day disabled list on Friday. ... The Orioles donated $1 million to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Tuesday night during the celebration that sent Cal Ripken Jr. on his way to the Hall of Fame.

NEW YORK: RHP Scott Proctor rejoined the Yankees on Wednesday, after taking two days off for the birth of his son, Cooper. ... Manager Joe Torre said RHP Phil Hughes, coming back from hamstring and ankle injuries, would likely make one more rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before he is ready to return to the club. ... DH Jason Giambi, sidelined since May 30 with torn tissue in his left foot, is set to start a minor league rehab assignment Friday night with Class-A Tampa and hopes to rejoin the team next week. ... 2B Robinson Cano's three walks in Tuesday's 9-4 victory were a career high - and one more than he had in all of May. ... Torre said he would not decide on a pitcher for Friday's resumption of a suspended game at Baltimore until the Yankees had finished batting. New York was leading 8-6 in the top of the eighth when the game was halted by rain on June 28.

KANSAS CITY: The Royals released RHP Scott Elarton on Wednesday, one day after bringing him off the disabled list to start against the Yankees. Elarton gave up seven runs on six hits in just 1 2-3 innings. The Royals made no immediate move to fill Elarton's roster spot, but manager Buddy Bell said the team expected to call up a relief pitcher. ... RHP Leo Nunez would likely be called up from Triple-A Omaha to take Elarton's scheduled start Sunday against Texas, Bell said. ... Wednesday night marked the 17th anniversary of the last time a Kansas City player hit for the cycle. Hall of Fame 3B George Brett, now a team vice president, did it on July 25, 1990, at Toronto. Derryl Cousins, the plate umpire for Wednesday night's game, was the first base umpire when Brett accomplished the feat.

DETROIT: RHP Fernando Rodney will begin a minor-league rehab stint at Triple-A Toledo on Thursday. Rodney has been on the disabled list since June 24 with tendinitis in his shoulder. Rodney (1-5, 5.40 ERA) will have to prove he can pitch well two days in a row to be recalled, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, adding this trip is not ``a vacation. He's going to have to pitch good and I want that in bold print,'' Leyland said, growing agitated with reporters. ``He's not going down there and coming back when he wants to come back. He's going down there to show us that he can pitch and he's healthy.'' ... OF Gary Sheffield was a late scratch for Wednesday's game with a right shoulder injury. Sheffield said he collided with Placido Polanco while playing right field Saturday night and had been feeling sore for a few days and unable to throw. ... C Ivan Rodriguez and 2B Polanco didn't start Wednesday and SS Carlos Guillen was supposed to sit Thursday, all because of minor soreness.

CHICAGO: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen chuckled at the most recent trade rumor surrounding his underachieving club: Paul Konerko to the Los Angeles Angels. ``I just laugh,'' Guillen said. ``He should just laugh. If the Angels want to trade for somebody, I'll be happy. Kenny will be asking for a lot of people and they'll say no.'' Guillen said he doesn't foresee any trades as the non-waiver deadline approaches on July 31. ``Right now, I feel like nothing is going to happen,'' he said. ``I don't know what the deal is. I don't know if people are waiting for the last second. But right now any player for the White Sox that think they're going to get traded, they're not going to get traded. Not right now. There's nothing out there.'' ... Backup catcher Toby Hall was whacked in the back of the neck Tuesday night by Carlos Guillen's backswing and had to leave the game, but Hall started Wednesday.

SEATTLE: DH Jose Vidro dropped to fifth in the batting order for the first time Wednesday night. Manager John McLaren said the move was to give Vidro, the Mariners' most consistent hitter other than Ichiro Suzuki, more opportunities to drive in runs and make an impact. ... The Mariners weren't pulling their hair out in the clubhouse Wednesday after five straight losses. But they were cutting it. 3B Adrian Beltre became the barber, cutting the hair of just about everybody in the Mariners' traveling party, from players to coaches and even a PR guy. Ben Broussard got a mohawk, Vidro had a buzz cut and Richie Sexson's long locks were much shorter.

TEXAS: Jerry Hairston saw a chiropractor Wednesday, but was still out with a stiff back. He was pulled out midway through the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader because he couldn't get loose. Manager Ron Washington kept him out of the lineup Wednesday, hoping that and a travel day Thursday would have Hairston ready to play in a weekend series at Kansas City. ... Washington originally wasn't planning to play rookie 3B Travis Metcalf on Wednesday. He changed his mind after Metcalf had a double in Game 1 on Tuesday, then went 4-for-4 with the game-winning RBI double in the nightcap. ``After last night, I can't take him out of the lineup now,'' Washington said.

OAKLAND: The fan who hit DH Mike Piazza in the on-deck circle with a thrown water bottle on Wednesday was identified as 22-year-old Roland Flores of La Puente, Calif. He was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery and booked at the Anaheim Detention Facility, according to Anaheim police spokesman Rick Martinez. Formal charges could be filed as soon as Thursday. ``It was a gutless move,'' said Piazza, who homered twice during the series with the Angels. ``I mean, in this day and age, you shouldn't be surprised. But there's just no excuse for that. It's absolutely ridiculous. Hopefully, he'll spend the night in jail.'' ... Injury-jinxed SS Bobby Crosby was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left hand. He was hit by a fastball from Justin Speier in the eighth inning of Oakland's 4-3 victory Tuesday night. Crosby, the 2004 AL Rookie of the Year, is on the DL for the fifth time in the past three seasons. ... The Athletics have used the DL 18 times this season - the most since 1997, when they used it 21 times. ... Donnie Murphy, recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to replace Crosby on the 25-man roster, started at shortstop and was 1-for-3 with an RBI double and an error.

LOS ANGELES: Struggling slugger Vladimir Guerrero was held out of Wednesday's matinee so he could get back-to-back days off before the team began a series against Detroit. Guerrero is homerless in 97 at_bats over his last 24 games - the longest drought of his big league career. The eight-time All-Star averaged 36.2 homers over the previous nine seasons, and won the Home Run Derby during the All-Star break. ``It didn't mess up his stroke,'' hitting coach Mickey Hatcher said. ``I just think he's going through a period of time right now where he's a little tired, and he's been missing some pitches. Vlad's a guy who loves to play every day and he doesn't want to come out of the lineup. There's times where his back is going to be stiff or his body's going to be stiff, and he's not going to say anything. But we can see him battling through stuff like that sometimes. He's chasing a few more pitches that are probably a lot farther out of the zone than he usually swings at, and you see him taking some pitches that are strikes - which he usually doesn't do. But he's a professional. He knows how to turn it around and I've got all the confidence in the world in him.''

Notes from Wednesday's NL games
July 25, 2007

SAN DIEGO: RHP Scott Linebrink bid a tearful farewell to teammates after learning of the trade that sent him to Milwaukee for LHP Joe Thatcher, LHP Steve Garrison and RHP Will Inman. ``It's tough to say goodbye to these guys,'' Linebrink said. ``This has been the favorite organization of the three that I played on.'' ... RHP Chris Young could miss his scheduled start Sunday in Houston. ``The oblique muscle is still sore,'' manager Bud Black said. ``It could be a seven or 10-day thing.'' ... OF Mike Cameron and OF Milton Bradley were given the day off. ``Cameron took a scheduled day off while Bradley needed the time off because of some aches and pains,'' Black said.

COLORADO: Manager Clint Hurdle said he plans to give players a night off during the hot summer months. Last week, Hurdle sat 1B Todd Helton and OF Matt Holliday for a game each. He will try to sit 3B Garrett Atkins and 2B Kaz Matsui soon. ... LHP Brian Fuentes (strained back) threw on the side Monday. Hurdle said Fuentes would throw again Wednesday from a deeper distance. ... SS Troy Tulowitzki, who missed Tuesday night's game due to an undisclosed illness, was in uniform Wednesday but did not start. ... INF Jamey Carroll got started at shortstop for the second straight game.

WASHINGTON: RHP Shawn Hill threw 35 pitches in two innings of a simulated game against teammates in Philadelphia. Hill (3-3, 2.70 ERA) has been on the disabled list since May 12 with a left shoulder strain. ``He looked real good. He's ready to go,'' manager Manny Acta said. Hill is expected to throw a bullpen session Friday and make his first rehab start soon after. ... RHP Jason Bergmann, who left Tuesday's game in the third inning with tightness in his left hamstring, will throw on the side Thursday. Acta then will decide whether he can make his next start.

PHILADELPHIA: When Brett Myers rejoins the Phillies, he could reclaim his closer's role quickly. Myers, sidelined since May 23 with a shoulder injury, had six saves in seven chances after replacing the injured Tom Gordon. Antonio Alfonseca has filled in with both Myers and Gordon out, but manager Charlie Manuel anticipates going back to Myers eventually. ``I think when Brett is healed, he's healed,'' Manuel said. ``I think he's the one I can turn loose.'' Myers was to make another rehab appearance at Class-A Clearwater on Wednesday night. Gordon returned to the bullpen last week and the team will be cautious using him. ... With the trade deadline approaching, the Phillies are among several teams looking for pitching help. Manuel, however, is reluctant to lose one of his offensive players in any deal. ``It's got to knock my eye balls out,'' he said.

PITTSBURGH: OF Jason Bay was hitting .394 (13-for-33) with four homers and 14 RBIs in his last eight games against the Mets before Wednesday night. ... 2B Freddy Sanchez singled in the third inning and has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games. ... LHP Tom Gorzelanny left Wednesday night's game against the New York Mets in the third inning with shoulder stiffness. He was 9-5 with a 3.20 ERA entering the start. The Pirates scored just three runs in his five losses.

NEW YORK: CF Carlos Beltran strained an abdominal muscle during batting practice and was scratched from the lineup. Lastings Milledge moved from left field to center and Marlon Anderson was inserted into the lineup in left. ... RHP John Maine's teammates were still having fun with him one day after he hit his first career homer. There was a note on the clubhouse wipeboard for batting practice for selected pitchers and someone wrote next to it: ``Maine you don't have to be there you have 'Pop.''' ... LHP Billy Wagner celebrated his 36th birthday, and RHP Guillermo Mota turned 34. ... Manager Willie Randolph had no new update on OF Moises Alou (tendinitis in right shoulder), who could be activated from the DL any day. ``Day to day means that when he comes in and feels like he's able to swing the bat and throw he'll be in the lineup,'' Randolph said. ... Milledge had three hits Tuesday and was 7-for-12 in his last three games entering Wednesday. Still, he faced a lot of questions about waving Maine around the basepaths when he scored on the pitcher's first homer in Tuesday's game. ``It's all about having fun,'' Milledge said. ``It's not about showing anyone up.'' Milledge faced questions about his maturity when he came up with the Mets last year but Randolph said the 22-year-old is just enthusiastic. ``I'm not going to stop my guys from having a little fun but just respect the game,'' he said.

MILWAUKEE: RH Scott Linebrink is expected to join the Brewers in St. Louis on Friday. Milwaukee got him from San Diego for three minor league pitching prospects, giving the bullpen another setup man. ... GM Doug Melvin isn't counting on more trades. ``I'm not sure there's anything else we'd do,'' Melvin said. ``This was one of our No. 1 goals. We have versatile players on the bench. We'd like our players on the offensive side to produce the way they did in the first half, when we got ourselves where we are. If they do that, we'll be fine.'' ... CF Bill Hall flew in from Arizona, where he played two games with the rookie team, and was activated off the DL. Hall sprained his right ankle three weeks earlier. ... Tony Gwynn Jr. was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to open a roster spot. Gwynn was called up when Hall got hurt and hit .200 in 10 games, including eight starts in center.

CINCINNATI: Hits king Pete Rose watched some of the game from a reserved party area in the second deck behind home plate. Rose was in town for a youth baseball camp. Rose, who is serving a lifetime ban for betting on Reds games, has attended numerous games in Cincinnati. ... Adam Dunn singled in his first at-bat, extending his hitting streak to a season-high 11 games. ... A day after RHP Matt Belisle struggled and was lifted early, interim manager Pete Mackanin didn't want to discuss whether he might lose his spot in the rotation. ``Don't ask me any questions about whether we're going to change the rotation so I don't have to sidestep them,'' he said.

LOS ANGELES: Closer Takashi Saito, who has not been available for the last six games because of an injured shoulder blade, should be available on Thursday. ``He's great,'' manager Grady Little said. ``He's ready to go. He threw off the mound today and it was very positive.'' ... LHP Randy Wolf, on the 15-day DL since July 4 because of shoulder soreness, was scheduled to make a rehab start in Class-A on Wednesday night. ``He might have one more start depending on how he does,'' Little said. ``We'll decide after this game.'' ... The trip to Houston was a homecoming for Dodgers first baseman James Loney, who starred at Elkins High School in nearby Missouri City. He had planned to attend Baylor before signing with Los Angeles.

HOUSTON: Houston ace Roy Oswalt, who missed his scheduled start on Wednesday with chest soreness, threw a bullpen session instead. He said before the session that he felt good after throwing a bit on Tuesday. ``I threw yesterday and had pretty good velocity so that's good,'' he said. Manager Phil Garner said he's encouraged by Oswalt's progress and isn't concerned that the problem will linger. Oswalt is scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday. ... Rookie Hunter Pence, who will miss four-to-six weeks with after hurting his wrist sliding into second base last week, will get a lesson in sliding when he's healthy. ``We'll fix that,'' Garner said. ``He needs to pull his hands up in the air when he slides.''

CHICAGO: 2B Mark DeRosa was out of the lineup a day after being removed with what was termed as left hamstring tendinitis, but manager Lou Piniella doesn't expect him to be out long. ``If we can get him ready by Friday, I'll be pleased,'' Piniella said. ... RHP Kerry Wood threw about a dozen pitches Tuesday for Class-A Peoria and is scheduled to throw back-to-back days Thursday and Friday. But general manager Jim Hendry said even if Wood feels good the team would probably not rush to activate him. ``If he goes through that, he might not be too far away,'' Hendry said. ``But I can't see it happening right after Peoria.'' ... Jason Kendall was off to a 1-for-15 slump since being acquired from the Athletics, which Piniella interpreted as pressing. Piniella said he'd alternate Kendall and Koyie Hill for the time being while Kendall works with batting coach Gerald Perry.

ST. LOUIS: LHP Mike Maroth was on the lineup card as a reliever, although he's still scheduled to make his next start on Friday against the Brewers. Maroth's start was pushed back three days after two horrendous outings, and allowed 10 runs in five innings his last time out in Atlanta. ... Chris Duncan was batting sixth against LHP Ted Lilly, although another left-handed hitter, Jim Edmonds, was on the bench. ``Dunc's been one of our hottest guys,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``We've got a lot of games this week, so Jim doesn't need to play today versus Chris.'' ... LHP Mark Mulder will need at least one more bullpen outing before he can begin a longterm rehab assignment that will start with simulated games in Florida. Mulder, recovering from rotator cuff surgery last September, might not be back until the final month.

FLORIDA: SS Hanley Ramirez, who suffered a left shoulder dislocation Sunday against Cincinnati, missed his third straight game. ... 2B Dan Uggla's two-homer game Tuesday was his fifth of the season and of his career. ... 3B Miguel Cabrera extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games after a 1-for-4 night Tuesday ... RHP Byung-Hyun Kim, the Diamondbacks' one-time closer, returns to Chase Field and will start Thursday night against Arizona's Micah Owings. Kim is 11-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 127 games in Phoenix but is 1-5 with an 8.56 ERA against his first club.

ARIZONA: LHP Randy Johnson told Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin that he's ready to throw his bullpen session Friday as he continues working his way back from a herniated disk that has sidelined him most of the last two months. ``I was surprised with some of the things I read when he came in today and said he was ready to go on Friday,'' Melvin said before Wednesday's game against the Florida Marlins. ``I didn't hear what he said to the media yesterday but I read some of the things and seemed like there were different versions of it.'' Melvin said he thought Johnson looked ``crisp'' for the first two innings of the simulated game before tiring in the third. ... Arizona's four-game winning streak is the team's longest since a season-best eight-game streak May 24-June 1.

Baseball Today - July 26
By Associated Press

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, July 26

Boston at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EDT). Kason Gabbard (4-0, 2.97 ERA) starts for the Red Sox in a possible playoff preview.

STARS

Wednesday

-Ryan Raburn, Tigers, hit two homers and drove in seven runs to help Detroit top the Chicago White Sox 13-9.

-Ryan Howard, Phillies, hit a two-run homer in the 14th inning to give Philadelphia a 7-5 victory over Washington.

-Gregg Zaun, Blue Jays, homered and drove in four runs in Toronto's 13-1 rout of Minnesota.

-Fausto Carmona, Indians, pitched eight shutout innings to lead Cleveland to a 1-0 victory over Boston.

-Matt Holliday, Rockies, tied a career-high with four hits, including a home run and two doubles, in a 10-2 victory over San Diego.

-Paul Lo Duca, Mets, drove in four runs in the New York Mets' 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh.

RARITY

Cleveland avenged a 1-0 loss to Boston on Tuesday with a 1-0 win on Wednesday night. Fausto Carmona allowed four hits in eight shutout innings and Franklin Gutierrez hit a solo homer to help the Indians follow a 1-0 loss with a 1-0 win for the first time since April 17-18, 1942.

SNAPPED

Ramon Vazquez hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning off previously unblemished closer J.J. Putz, and Texas beat Seattle 7-6 on Wednesday to complete a four-game sweep. Putz hadn't allowed a run in 16 road appearances this season and had converted a majors-best 31 consecutive save chances since last season, including all 29 this year.

QUICK WORK

Aaron Cook (7-6) needed just 74 pitches to win his second straight start and second complete game of the season, leading Colorado over San Diego 10-2 Wednesday. Cook (7-6) allowed seven hits, struck out two and walked none after going 1-5 in his previous nine outings.

WINNING INNING

Toronto tied a franchise record with an 11-run sixth inning in a 13-1 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday. Gregg Zaun drove in four runs in the inning with an RBI double and a three-run homer that capped the scoring. The Blue Jays last scored 11 runs on April 26, 1995, against Oakland.

STRONG IN DEFEAT

Josh Beckett pitched a complete game - allowing one run and four hits - in Boston's 1-0 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday night. It was his fourth career complete game and first since Aug. 13, 2005 - a span of 60 starts - when he was with Florida.

STREAKS

Erik Bedard allowed one run in six innings to earn his sixth straight victory, and the Baltimore Orioles beat Tampa Bay 6-1 on Wednesday night to extend the Devil Rays' losing streak to five games. ... Ted Lilly gave up one run on six hits to win his seventh straight decision in the Chicago Cubs' 7-1 victory over St. Louis. ... Jeff Kent homered in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2-1 loss to Houston and has now reached based safely in 36 straight games, the longest streak in the majors this season. ... The New York Yankees pounded out 13 hits for the third straight night in a 7-1 victory over Kansas City.

SPEAKING

''It's a crazy thing. It's pretty unbelievable that it could actually work out that way.'' - Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez, after hitting his 499th career home run in New York's 7-1 win over Kansas City on Wednesday. Rodriguez will try for No. 500 on Thursday against Jorge De La Rosa, who surrendered career homer No. 400 to Rodriguez a little over two years ago.

Reds place Lopez on 15-day DL
July 26th, 2007

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Reds placed shortstop Pedro Lopez on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left cheekbone on Thursday, a day after he was hit in the face by a pitch.

Lopez was carted off the field in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 7-3 victory over Milwaukee after being hit in the face by a Matt Wise pitch.

Lopez led off the frame and could not get out of the way of Wise's fastball that hit him near the mouth. Lopez immediately fell to the ground and began spitting up blood.

After staying down for several minutes, team trainers managed to get Lopez on his feet and into a cart, where he was driven off the field as he held a towel to his mouth, and taken to the hospital. He remained hospitalized overnight, and was expected to be released Thursday after an examination.

To fill the roster spot, the Reds reinstated infielder Juan Castro from the 15-day DL. Castro has been sidelined since July 7 with a sprained right elbow.