MLB News and Notes July - 30

Notes from Sunday's AL games
July 29, 2007

OAKLAND: LHP Lenny DiNardo matched his career high with seven runs allowed Sunday. DiNardo had given up just one earned run in his last two starts, but lasted just three innings against Seattle. DiNardo also gave up a three-run homer to Adrian Beltre - the first time he's allowed anything other than a solo home run. ``Lenny didn't have command of his fastball and didn't get it where he wanted it to,'' Oakland manager Bob Geren said. ... OF Travis Buck was available, but wasn't used for pinch-hitting duty on Sunday, a day after being a late scratch with a left forearm strain. ... Sunday's loss dropped the A's to 5-12 since the All-Star break, tied with Tampa Bay for the worst mark in the AL.

SEATTLE: CF Ichiro Suzuki picked up his 1,500th career hit with a single to center field in the second inning in his 1,060th game. He's the third-fastest player to reach that mark, trailing only Al Simmons (1,040) and George Sisler (1,048). ... 3B Adrian Beltre drove in four runs, giving him 30 for the month of July, a new career high for one month. The previous was September of 2006, when he had 28 RBIs. ... Sunday was the third time Seattle has played in a game where both teams scored 10 runs. They beat the Yankees 15-11 on May 4 and lost to Tampa Bay 13-12 on May 24.

DETROIT: LHP Kenny Rogers was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to June 16, because of inflammation in his pitching elbow. The timing couldn't have been worse for Rogers, who won't get a chance to improve on his 25-4 record at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday night when the Tigers begin a three-game series against the Athletics. ... RHP Jordan Tata will be called up from Triple-A Toledo on Monday and start in Rogers' place. ... 2B Placido Polanco entered Sunday night's game at Angel Stadium with a 131-game errorless streak. The major league record for that position is 143 games by Minnesota's Luis Castillo, whose streak ended against the Angels in Anaheim on June 6.

LOS ANGELES: The Angels, who began Sunday with a four-game lead over second-place Seattle in the AL West and lead the season series with the Mariners 7-2, have their rotation set up perfectly for the three-game series that begins Monday night at Seattle. But manager Mike Scioscia insisted that having Kelvim Escobar, John Lackey and Jered Weaver in those slots was caused by other reasons than facing their division rivals. ``Kelvim and John were pushed back just to give them an extra day's rest and allow Dustin Moseley to pitch today,'' Scioscia said. ``It worked out both ways this time, but I think the health of our rotation is more important right now than matchups at this point.'' ... Lackey is treating the next three games as just another series. ``It's still pretty early to say it's a huge series,'' Lackey said. ``It would be nice to go up there and win a couple of games and play well on the road. We've got to go out and pitch well because they've got a great lineup and they've been playing pretty good baseball. You knew someone was going to hang around, and it just happened to be them this year.''

MINNESOTA: OF Michael Cuddyer (sprained right thumb) could be activated when he's eligible to come off the DL on Friday. He has started hitting off a tee and playing catch and may take batting practice Monday when the Twins return home. ... The Twins' eighth-inning rally to win Sunday made them 4-43 when trailing after seven innings. ... Twins batters have gone 0-for-24 in the first inning over their last eight games. ... After winning two of three in Cleveland, the Twins are 16-21 against the AL Central. ... 1B Justin Morneau has hit safely in 19 of 23 games, going 32-for-88 (.364) with eight homers and 27 RBIs.

CLEVELAND: After a 4-1 loss Sunday, their fifth setback in seven games during a 10-game homestand, manager Eric Wedge is delighted to have Monday off. ``It's great timing for an off day following 17 days in a row,'' he said. ... LHP Aaron Fultz, out since June 24 with a strained muscle in his right side, made only 10 pitches in one scoreless inning on a rehab assignment at Double-A Akron on Sunday. ... 1B Ryan Garko has batted .408 (20-for-49) with four homers and 12 RBIs in 15 games since the All-Star break. ... Over their last 18 games, OF Trot Nixon has hit .315 (17-for-54) and SS Jhonny Peralta .301 (22-for-73).

TORONTO: OF Vernon Wells has an eight-game hitting streak. ... DH Frank Thomas was the winner of his first game at U.S. Cellular Field since parting ways with Chicago as a free agent after the 2005 season. Thomas was a member of the Oakland Athletics in 2006 and is now 1-5 as a visitor against the White Sox. Thomas played 16 seasons for the White Sox. ... The Blue Jays are 52-52 overall and improved to 21-32 on the road this season. ... OF Reed Johnson has eight hits in his last three games.

CHICAGO: OF Scott Podsednik is not exactly comfortable with batting seventh in the order. Podsednik, who was the White Sox leadoff hitter since the 2005 season, was dropped in the order after he came back from a rib cage injury on Tuesday. ``I'd rather be hitting first or second, but it is what you make it,'' Podsednik said. Asked the reasoning behind his move down the order, ``You'd have to talk to (general manager) Kenny Williams or (manager) Ozzie (Guillen),'' Podsednik said. ... With the off day on Monday, Guillen will fly out to West Virginia and watch his son Oney play in the White Sox minor league system. Oney, who is playing for rookie-level Bristol, is 8-for-50 in 17 games. ... The White Sox finished an eight-game homestand with a 5-3 record. ... OF Jermaine Dye is batting .318 with seven home runs and 13 RBIs since the All-Star break.

NEW YORK: Top prospect Joba Chamberlain is moving to the bullpen at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... RHP Phil Hughes allowed three hits in 6 2-3 shutout innings in a rehab start with Scranton on Sunday. ... SS Derek Jeter jumped into fifth place on the Yankees' career at_bats list, passing Babe Ruth with his 7,218th in the seventh inning of Sunday's win at Baltimore. ... Chien-Ming Wang went 5-1 in six starts in July. ... New York had eight doubles, tying the season high set on July 21 against Tampa Bay. ... 1B Andy Phillips extended his career-high hit streak to 11 games. ... Wang has not allowed an unearned run in 43 starts, the longest streak of its kind since the AL began tracking unearned runs in 1913. ... The nine walks New York received Sunday tied the season high, set on July 24 against Kansas City.

BALTIMORE: C Paul Bako got a career high four walks Sunday. He singled in his only other at-bat. ... The nine walks allowed by Orioles pitchers tied their season high. ... The Orioles had at least one multiple-run inning with two outs in each game of the series against New York. ... RHP Paul Shuey had gone four straight games without allowing an earned run before Sunday, when he allowed four while only getting one out.

BOSTON: RHP Mike Timlin (right shoulder soreness) is expected to be available Tuesday when the Red Sox host Baltimore. Timlin hasn't pitched since last Monday at Cleveland. ... C Doug Mirabelli caught RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka for only the second time this season Sunday. Mirabelli, who has caught all of RHP Tim Wakefield's 21 starts, got the start since C Jason Varitek caught 12 innings Saturday. ... 2B Dustin Pedroia (sore ribs) was in the starting lineup after sitting out the previous two games.

TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon said INF Ben Zobrist will get most of his playing time at shortstop, but will also see action at third and second. Zobrist, who was sent to the minors on May 11, was recalled from Triple-A Durham before Sunday's game. ``It's been a hard couple months,'' Zobrist said. ``You just keep playing and keep working.'' ... Following Saturday's trade of INF-DH Ty Wigginton to Houston, Maddon said Jonny Gomes and Greg Norton will be the primary designated hitters.

TEXAS: RHP Vicente Padilla, who went on the DL on June 25 with right triceps irritation, made his second minor league rehab start on Saturday with Double-A Frisco, throwing two scoreless innings, allowing three hits, striking out four and walking one. ... Rookie 3B Travis Metcalf was drafted in the 11th round out of the University of Kansas, which is about 40 miles from Kansas City. Metcalf, who went to Wamego (Kan.) High School, said he attended at least 20 games in Kauffman Stadium while growing up. He said his grandmother, who lives in a Kansas City suburb, was a Royals season-ticket holder. Metcalf went 0-for-9 in the three-game series at Kansas City. ... C Gerald Laird had two hits, extending his hitting streak to a season-high nine games. ... SS Michael Young went hitless in four at_bats, snapping his 11-game hitting streak. Young went 20-for-45, .444, in the streak.

KANSAS CITY: RHP Brandon Duckworth, who is on the DL with a strained left oblique, will report Monday to the Royals' complex in Surprise, Ariz. After he throws batting practice in Arizona, Duckworth is scheduled to go to the Royals' Wilmington (Del.) Class-A club. ... The Royals rotation has a 1.11 ERA in the four-game winning streak. ... 3B Alex Gordon batted third for the first time, while RF Mark Teahen, who had batted third 88 games, was dropped to sixth for the first time this season. ``It gives Mark a different view, a little time to think before his first at-bat,'' manager Buddy Bell said of Teahen hitting fifth. ``I don't think this is going to be a long-term thing.'' After going just 2-for-19 in the first six games of this homestand, Teahen went 3-for-4 to raise his average .285. Bell said Teahen would return to his third slot on Monday. ... C Jason LaRue went 0-for-2 with two walks and is hitless in his past 22 at_bats. LaRue, however, has been behind the plate for all three Kansas City shutouts, including two on his homestand. ... RHP Joel Peralta worked three scoreless innings Sunday for his second career save. His first was Sept. 29 at Detroit.

Notes from Sunday's NL games
July 29, 2007

WASHINGTON: On Saturday night, RHP Joel Hanrahan became the first pitcher in franchise history and only the fourth in the majors since 1974 to triple in his first big league at-bat, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... LHP Billy Traber has lasted a combined 7 2-3 innings in his two starts since moving to the starting rotation from the bullpen. ... LHP Matt Chico, who will start Tuesday against Cincinnati, is the only starter from the Opening Day roster who has not missed a turn in the rotation. Chico never pitched above Double-A before the season. ... The Nationals are 4-5 against the Mets this season and have scored just five runs in the five losses.

NEW YORK: C Paul Lo Duca's MRI exam Sunday showed a strained hamstring, and he hopes to be ready to catch Tuesday when Tom Glavine goes for his 300th career win at Milwaukee. Lo Duca said he tore scar tissue and that he wasn't concerned. When told of Lo Duca's optimism, manager Willie Randolph said: ``If he is, then I am.'' ... CF Carlos Beltran's MRI showed a strained oblique. Randolph said Beltran would be re-evaluated in a couple days. ... OF Lastings Milledge extended his hitting streak to nine games and is batting (.424) 14-for-33 with seven RBIs during that span. ... The win was the third five-inning win in Mets history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other two were both at Shea Stadium against the Montreal Expos in 1971. ... RHP John Maine is 2-0 against the Nationals this year. He has thrown 12 shutout innings against Washington, allowing just four hits and striking out 13. ... SS Jose Reyes and 3B David Wright both stole bases in the third inning. Their 72 combined steals are the most of any two teammates in baseball.

MILWAUKEE: The bullpen allowed 10 runs on 17 hits in 7 1-3 innings the last three games of the series, all losses. The Cardinals batted .472 against the relievers in that stretch. ... LHP Chris Capuano is 0-7 with a 6.16 ERA in 12 starts since May 7. He has only six quality starts after tying for the major league lead with 25 last season. ... Geoff Jenkins had two hits after going 3-for-16 the first seven games of an eight-game trip. ... Ryan Braun had two hits and was 14-for-33 (.424) with three homers and seven RBIs on the trip, but Craig Counsell was 3-for-19 and Rickie Weeks was 2-for-19.

ST. LOUIS: The bullpen threw 13 scoreless innings the last three games, allowing only four hits and two walks while striking out eight. ... Cardinals won for the fourth time when trailing by four or more runs, and second time in three games. They haven't been much of a comeback team, going 19-44 when the opposition scores first. ... Albert Pujols' three-run double in the eighth gave him 829 RBIs, tied for seventh with Ray Lankford on the franchise list. ... St. Louis is 15-for-38 with runners in scoring position during its three-game winning streak. ... The Cardinals are four games below .500 for the first time since July 5, enough of a milestone on this team that manager Tony La Russa said it gave him ``goose pimples.''

ATLANTA: The Braves snapped a four-game losing streak and matched a season high with their 14-run outburst Sunday ... Chipper Jones was 1-for-1 with a double and 5 RBIs courtesy of a pair of sacrifice flies ... Tim Hudson is 4-1 with a 1.61 ERA in six career starts against the Diamondbacks. ... Twelve different players accounted for Atlanta's 19 runs and 10 different players scored. ... Before the game, the Braves recalled RHP Jose Ascanio from Double-A Mississippi and designated LHP Wilfredo Ledezma for assignment, two days after Ledezma surrendered Eric Byrnes' eleventh-inning, game-winning homer. Ledezma, acquired from Detroit on June 20, was 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in 12 appearances for Atlanta. Ascanio pitched a scoreless eighth against Arizona. ... Andruw Jones reached the 20-homer plateau for the tenth straight year with his first-inning home run.

ARIZONA: The Diamondbacks saw their season-best eight-game winning streak snapped. ... RHP Livan Hernandez's four-inning stint matched a season low set twice previously and he gave up a season-high eight runs. ... Hernandez fell to 3-15 with a 5.44 ERA in 24 games against the Braves, all but one starts. ... The 14-0 loss Sunday was the Diamondbacks' worst of the season and the worst shutout loss in franchise history. ... Arizona allowed a season-worst 19 hits to the Braves. ... Eric Byrnes tripled in the first and has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games and 11 of his past 13. His seven triples puts him fifth in the National League.

SAN DIEGO: The Padres reached 18 runs for only the fourth time in franchise history on Sunday, and reached their highest run total since an 18-2 win over Florida on Aug. 23, 2002. San Diego has scored 20 runs in a game twice - against Florida on July 27, 1996, and against Montreal on May 19, 2001. ... The Padres are the first NL team to score 11 runs in the first inning since St. Louis scored that many against San Diego on May 8, 2005. ... RHP Tim Stauffer arrived in Houston on Saturday afternoon, ready to start Sunday's game. The 25-year-old Stauffer was the Padres' first-round pick in 2003 and started a game last season. But when he walked into the Padres' clubhouse on Sunday, he couldn't remember what number he wore. (For the record, he donned No. 54.) He also couldn't remember the last time he batted in the first inning of a game, or had taken the mound with an 11-0 lead. Stauffer retired the first seven Astros in order before giving up a solo homer to Eric Munson in the third. He gave up two more homers in the fourth. ``I don't think I lost focus,'' he said. ``I think I just got a little tired, maybe going a little too fast.''

HOUSTON: RHP Jason Jennings was the first Astros pitcher to allow 11 earned runs in a game since April 27, 2000, when Jose Lima gave up 12 against the Chicago Cubs. ... Carlos Lee doubled on Sunday, his sixth consecutive game with an extra-base hit. ... LHP Mark McLemore, called up from Triple-A Round Rock before Sunday's game, left in the second inning with a bruised left shin. ... 3B Ty Wigginton, acquired Saturday in a trade with Tampa Bay, had a reasonable explanation for his .094 career batting average at Minute Maid Park before Sunday's game. ``I was thinking about that,'' Wigginton said, ``and I think every time I ever played here, I faced either Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte or Roy Oswalt. It doesn't really matter what ballpark you're in if you're facing one of those three.'' Wigginton beat out an infield grounder in the fifth inning for his first hit as an Astro. ... The Astros used eight pitchers on Sunday, tying a franchise record for a nine-inning game. ... The Astros and Padres set a Minute Maid Park record for combined runs in a game.

PITTSBURGH: LHP Damaso Marte has not allowed a hit in his last 30 at_bats against left-handers. It's the longest streak of that kind in the majors this season. Marte is holding left-handed hitter to a .080 (4 for 50) average. ... RHP Ian Snell struck out seven batters, including six in a row at one stretch on Sunday. It was the most strikeouts in a game for Snell since he struck out seven against Texas on June 13, a span of eight starts. ... RHP Jonah Bayliss was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. He went 3-2 in appearances with Indianapolis after the Pirates optioned him to the minors on June 24. ... Despite a dreadful 2-13 mark since the All-Star break, the Pirates (42-61) are still ahead of last year's pace when the team was 37-66 after 103 games. ... After a 1-5 roadtrip, the Pirates will begin a six-game homestand against St. Louis and Cincinnati on Tuesday.

PHILADELPHIA: The Phillies are 19-9 against the NL Central, good news as the team embarks on a seven-game roadtrip to the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee. ... Since April 21, the Phillies have accumulated an NL-best 51 wins. ... With closers Tom Gordon and Brett Myers being eased back into the bullpen after shoulder injuries, Jose Mesa finished Sunday's game. Mesa, who is the Phillies all-time saves leader with 111, has made eight straight scoreless appearances and opponents are hitting .080 (2 for 25) during the span. ... Mesa made his 1,002nd career appearance, tying him with Goose Gossage for 10th on the all-time list. ... The Phillies are 9-3 against their cross-state rivals at Citizens Bank Park. ... The team failed to hit a home run for the first time in nine games. ... C Chris Coste is hitting .400 (4 for 10) with a homer and four RBIs as a pinch-hitter.

CHICAGO: The non-waiver trade deadline is Tuesday afternoon, but don't expect the Cubs to be active. The offers haven't overwhelmed general manager Jim Hendry, manager Lou Piniella said. ``There hasn't been anything out there that makes it imperative for us to do anything,'' Piniella said. ... The Cubs were 12th in the league in home runs going into Sunday's game, but that doesn't matter to first baseman Derrek Lee. ``As long as we win, I don't care how we do it,'' said Lee, who hit his 11th on Sunday. ... After Kerry Wood threw an encouraging bullpen session on Sunday, Piniella said the right-hander might need only two or three more rehab appearances before he's ready to join Chicago's relievers. ``It's like trading for a pitcher,'' Piniella said. Wood has been on the DL since the start of the regular season with tendinitis in his right shoulder.

CINCINNATI: Jeff Keppinger's start at shortstop on Sunday was his sixth straight, and with third baseman Edwin Encarnacion showing signs of a resurgence at the plate, manager Pete Mackanin will face a pleasant problem when regular shortstop Alex Gonzalez returns from the restricted list. ``I don't want to think about that yet,'' Mackanin said. ``It's not an easy decision.'' Gonzalez isn't playing while tending to his hospitalized son. ... RHP Aaron Harang won't travel with the team to Washington and will miss his start on Thursday after lower back soreness allowed him to complete just one inning of his start against the Cubs on Saturday. ... Right-hander David Weathers' next appearance will be the 800th of his career. He will be the ninth active pitcher and 37th in history to reach that level.

DETROIT: LHP Kenny Rogers was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 16, because of inflammation in his pitching elbow. The timing couldn't have been worse for Rogers, who won't get a chance to improve on his 25-4 record at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday night when the Tigers begin a three-game series. RHP Jordan Tata will be called up from Triple-A Toledo on Monday and start against the Athletics in Rogers' place. ... 2B Placido Polanco entered Sunday night's game at Angel Stadium with a 131-game errorless streak. The major league record for that position is 143 games by Minnesota's Luis Castillo, whose streak ended against the Angels in Anaheim on June 6. ... CF Curtis Granderson's next double will make him only the second player in the Tigers' 107-year history to have at least 30 doubles, 15 triples, 15 home runs and 10 stolen bases in one season. The other was Hall of Fame INF Charlie Gehringer, who accomplished the feat in 1930 with 47 doubles, 15 triples, 16 homers and 19 steals.

LOS ANGELES: The Angels, who began Sunday with a four-game lead over second-place Seattle in the AL West and lead the season series with the Mariners 7-2, have their rotation set up perfectly for a three-game series that begins Monday night at Seattle. But manager Mike Scioscia insisted that having Kelvim Escobar, John Lackey and Jered Weaver in those slots was caused by other reasons than facing their division rivals. ``Kelvim and John were pushed back just to give them an extra day's rest and allow Dustin Moseley to pitch today,'' Scioscia said. ``It worked out both ways this time, but I think the health of our rotation is more important right now than matchups at this point. We're going to have a tough game every night, so I think it's too early to focus on one team or another at this point of the season. It might come to that point in September.''

FLORIDA: Starter Sergio Mitre retired the first 10 batters - all on groundouts - before six of the next seven batters reached safely in a five-run fourth inning. The only batter Mitre retired in that stretch was Barry Bonds, who flied out to right field. ... In Miguel Cabrera's first three times up, he saw four pitches from Matt Morris and had a single, double and home run. Cabrera added a fourth hit in the game and finished the series 7-for-3 with two homers and six RBIs. Cabrera also tied Derrek Lee for second place on Marlins career home run list with his 129th. ... 2B Dan Uggla hit his 40th double of the season in the fifth inning, becoming the seventh Marlins player to reach that mark.

SAN FRANCISCO: RHP Russ Ortiz (forearm strain) allowed two unearned runs and two hits in four innings in a rehab start for Class-A San Jose on Saturday. ``He will probably get one more start,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ... After Monday's off-day, the Giants will play 31 games in the next 30 days, including a makeup doubleheader in Pittsburgh on Aug. 13. Bochy will decide Tuesday if Bonds will play the series opener in Los Angeles. ... Members of the Giants' 1987 NL West-winning team were honored before the game with the biggest ovation coming for 1B Will Clark. There was also a moment of silence for Chris Brown and Jose Uribe, who both died last year.

Rogers back on DL with elbow injury
July 29, 2007

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -The Detroit Tigers placed left-hander Kenny Rogers on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his elbow. The move was made retroactive to Thursday.

Rogers is 3-2 with a 5.23 ERA in just six starts this season. The four-time All-Star missed the Tigers' first 71 games after undergoing surgery on March 30 to remove a blood clot from his left shoulder and repair arteries. This the third time the 42-year-old has been on the DL in his 19-year big league career.

In his previous start Wednesday at Chicago, Rogers allowed four homers and seven runs over four innings and did not get a decision in the Tigers' 13-9 victory over the White Sox. He has allowed 17 earned runs in his last three starts, spanning just 15 1-3 innings.

Rogers was 17-8 with a 3.48 ERA last year and won all three of his postseason starts while not allowing a run in 23 innings for the AL champions.

Jordan Tata will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Monday to make his first big league start against the Oakland Athletics in Rogers' place. The 25-year-old right-hander made eight relief appearances for the Tigers last season, allowing 10 earned runs over 14 2-3 innings.

Madson lands on 15-day DL; Geary recalled from Ottawa
July 29, 2007

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Phillies reliever Ryan Madson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder after Philadelphia's 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Reliever Geoff Geary was recalled from Triple-A Ottawa and will join the team for Monday's game in Chicago against the Cubs.

Madson left Sunday's game with two outs and an 0-2 count on Jason Bay. He said the injury is very similar to the one that sidelined Brett Myers. A close friend of Madson, Myers was hurt on May 24 and returned from the disabled list on Saturday.

``It's been bothering me for a few days but I thought I could throw through it,'' said Madson, who will have a MRI on Monday. ``Brett has already given me advice on the injury.''

Madson is 2-2 with a 3.05 ERA.

Braves set to acquire Teixeira from Rangers
FOXSports.com

The Braves are on the verge of acquiring Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira.

The deal is done, pending a review of the medical records of the players involved, according to major-league sources.

The Braves will receive Teixeira and left-handed reliever Ron Mahay.

The Rangers will receive catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Class A shortstop Elvis Andrus and two pitching prospects.

One of the prospects is believed to be Class AA left-hander Matt Harrison.

The Rangers had been split on whether they wanted Harrison, in part because he recently experienced shoulder trouble.

However, Harrison underwent an MRI that revealed no damage, and the Rangers evidently are willing to take him despite their concerns.

The addition of Teixeira, 27, would dramatically transform the Braves' lineup, giving them a second switch-hitter with power to join third baseman Chipper Jones.

The Braves rank fifth in the National League in runs scored, but their on-base/slugging percentage at first base is the worst in the majors.

Teixeira, who does not become a free agent until after next season, also would give the Braves lineup protection against the likely departure of center fielder Andruw Jones as a free agent this off-season.

The Angels also made a strong bid for Teixeira, offering first baseman Casey Kotchman and left-hander Joe Saunders. They were willing to include a third player, but not at the level the Rangers were seeking, sources said.

The Diamondbacks and Dodgers also had been interested in Teixeira, but neither was willing to trump the Braves' proposal.

Saltalamacchia, 22, is perhaps the single best player the Rangers were offered, a switch-hitting catcher with power who offers more upside than Kotchman.

The Braves were reluctant to part with "Salty," who also can play first base. But they would have no place to play him if they had Teixeria through '08; catcher Brian McCann is signed through 2012 with a club option for '13.

Teixeira is earning $9 million this season, and his salary could rise to $12 million next season in his final year of arbitration.

It is almost certain he would not sign a contract extension before becoming a free agent; his agent, Scott Boras, prefers his clients' values to be determined on the open market.

However, Teixeira attended Georgia Tech in Atlanta and might be open to signing with the Braves long-term.

Cards' Spiezio activated from DL
July 29th, 2007

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - St. Louis Cardinals utility player Scott Spiezio was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday.

Spiezio, who was placed on the DL with an left index finger infection on July 14, is hitting .281 with three homers and 27 RBI and 25 runs scored in 62 games this season.

In a related move, the Cardinals optioned pitcher Brian Falkenborg to Triple-A Memphis. Falkenborg was 0-1 with 4.91 ERA in six games.