Milton to have season-ending elbow surgery
June 11, 2007
CINCINNATI (AP) -Reds pitcher Eric Milton is scheduled to have reconstructive elbow surgery Friday, almost certainly ending his season.
It's possible the left-hander will never throw another pitch for the Reds. He can become a free agent when his $25.5 million, three-year contract expires this fall.
Milton was 0-4 with a 5.17 ERA in six starts this season. He went on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his left elbow on May 9, the second consecutive year he was hampered by elbow problems. Milton had season-ending surgery to clean out the same elbow last Sept. 22.
This year, Milton told the team about his sore elbow after he pitched 5 1-3 innings in a 7-6 loss to Houston on May 8. Tests the next day detected inflammation.
Team spokesman Rob Butcher said Monday he didn't know when doctors determined that Milton had a damaged ligament in his elbow and would require Tommy John surgery.
The 31-year-old Milton is 16-27 with Cincinnati since signing with the Reds before the 2005 season. He gave up an NL-leading 40 homers that year.
Giants option Ortmeier, call up Schierholtz
June 11, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -The San Francisco Giants optioned outfielder Dan Ortmeier to Triple-A Fresno on Monday and recalled outfielder Nate Schierholtz from the Pacific Coast League team, his first appearance on a major league 25-man roster.
Ortmeier played well for the Giants, batting .269 with two home runs and four RBIs, three doubles and a triple in 26 games. The Giants needed a left-handed bat, which Schierholtz provides, for Wednesday's series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays and then in Boston this weekend.
``Ortmeier did a great job,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ``It's not a case where he's going down because of his play. He had some big hits for us. He showed he can play up here and handle himself.''
Schierholtz - who has been in major league camp at spring training the past three years - was third in the PCL with a .347 batting average with four home runs, 33 RBIs and five stolen bases in 58 games for the Grizzlies. He also had 20 doubles and three triples.
``I knew I had a shot. I was playing pretty well,'' Schierholtz said.
He attended high school in nearby Danville and had quite a crew in the stands for his possible debut, needing 25 tickets for family and friends. He received word on the bus ride home late Sunday night from a road trip to Las Vegas - the only time this season Fresno took a bus.
``Exciting. I wasn't expecting it,'' he said. ``I'll be happy to get some at_bats and some opportunities to show what I can do.''
Baseball Today - June 12
Tue, Jun 12, 2007
By Associated Press
SCOREBOARD Tuesday, June 12
Arizona at N.Y. Yankees (7:05 p.m. EDT).
2006 NL Cy Young award winner Brandon Webb faces off against Chien-Ming Wang, who finished second in AL voting for the award.
STARS
Monday
-Carlos Zambrano, Cubs, gave up one run and three hits in eight innings and hit his second homer of the year to lead the Chicago Cubs past Houston 2-1.
-Raul Ibanez, Mariners, hit a pair of two-run homers and doubled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning to lift Seattle over Cleveland 8-7.
-Matt Morris, Giants, pitched a seven-hitter for his third complete game this season and San Francisco edged Toronto 4-3.
-Adam Eaton, Phillies, pitched four-hit ball over seven innings to help Philadelphia defeat the Chicago White Sox 3-0.
-James Loney, Dodgers, doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of Los Angeles' 5-3 win over the New York Mets.
CHASING AARON
Barry Bonds hit his 747th career home run, moving within nine of passing Hank Aaron's record of 755 with a two-run shot in San Francisco's 4-3 win over Toronto on Monday. Bonds sent an 0-1 pitch an estimated 438 feet into the seats for his 13th homer of the year and first against Blue Jays right-hander Josh Towers, who became the 440th pitcher to allow a homer to Bonds. It was the first homer since May 27 for the Giants slugger.
LONGBALL PARTY
Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins each hit solo homers, accounting for all the offense in Philadelphia's 3-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Raul Ibanez doubled his season home run total with a pair of two-run shots in Seattle's 8-7 win over Cleveland on Monday. He came into the game with two homers in his previous 209 at-bats this season.
SLUMPING
The New York Mets were defeated 5-3 by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday and have now lost seven of their last eight games.
STREAKS
Casey Blake extended his hitting streak to a career-high 20 games in Cleveland's 8-7 loss to Seattle on Monday. ... The Mariners have won four straight and eight of their last nine.
SPEAKING
''I don't want people to find out how (bad) we are right now.'' - Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, wondering why ESPN would televise his team's game on Monday. The White Sox were shutout for the fifth time this season, tied for most in the AL, losing 3-0 to Philadelphia.
Notes from Monday's games
June 11, 2007
CHICAGO: Manager Ozzie Guillen wondered why ESPN would televise a White Sox game on Monday night. ``I don't want people to find out how (bad) we are right now,'' he said. ... 3B Joe Crede had specialists take a second look at his injured back. ... Guillen said he's been concerned about the struggles former White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia is having in Philadelphia. ``They don't know Freddy,'' Guillen said. ``We know Freddy. People have to understand he's a winner.'' Garcia is 1-5 with a 5.90 ERA and is on the 15-day disabled list because of a right shoulder strain. ``When Freddy's healthy, you're going to see something really special,'' Guillen said.
PHILADELPHIA: The Phillies will promote RHP Kyle Kendrick from Double-A Reading to start against the White Sox on Wednesday. He'll replace injured Freddy Garcia. Kendrick was 4-7 with a 3.21 ERA at Reading. ``I like this kid,'' manager Charlie Manuel said. ``He's got a chance to do a real good job.'' ... C Carlos Ruiz was out with a sore left wrist. Manuel said Ruiz was hit by a bat and had some swelling. ... While Manuel said it was a ``possibility'' ace-turned-closer Brett Myers could be moved back into the rotation because of Garcia's injury, he wants to keep Myers in his current role when he comes off the DL. ... After sweeping the NL East-leading Mets, the Phillies lost two of three at Kansas City, continuing a troubling trend of inconsistency. ``We have holes and things like that,'' Manuel said. ``Until we fill them, how are we going to get better?''
TORONTO: Frank Thomas returned to the Bay Area after leading the Oakland Athletics in home runs on their way to the AL championship series last season. Thomas wanted to stay with the A's, but received an $18.12 million, two-year contract with Toronto. The deal includes a $10 million option for 2009 that would become guaranteed if Thomas has 1,000 plate appearances in two seasons or 525 plate appearances in 2008. It's been an adjustment for the Big Hurt playing in the AL East, which he said is nothing like the laid-back AL West considering all the drama around the Red Sox and Yankees. ``They've been totally pitching me crazy,'' he said. ``The last week and a half I've been getting comfortable.'' Thomas' role will be limited this series because he is a DH and the Blue Jays are in an NL park. ... C Gregg Zaun has a healthy right thumb and was activated from the DL on Friday, but manager John Gibbons plans to use him only in a pinch-hitting role during this series. ... The Blue Jays began the three-game interleague series with a 1-5 record against the Giants, including 0-3 in San Francisco. The clubs hadn't met since 2004, when Toronto got swept by the Bay.
SAN FRANCISCO: Injured backup C Eliezer Alfonzo received a second opinion on his sprained left knee from 49ers doctor Michael Dillingham and has opted against surgery - which means he could return by late July or early August, rather than missing a year or more if he'd gone the other route. Still, Alfonzo - who is still using crutches - will need to wear a brace on his knee for four to six weeks. He was hurt in a collision at the plate in the 10th inning Friday night in a 5-3 loss to Oakland. ``I feel very good,'' Alfonzo said. ``An operation would have taken about a year. This is much faster. I'm so happy with that. Before, when they said my knee was so bad, I thought maybe my career is over. I was very worried.'' ... The Giants optioned OF Dan Ortmeier to Triple-A Fresno and recalled OF Nate Schierholtz from Fresno. Schierholtz attended high school in nearby Danville and had quite a crew in the stands for his first time on the major league roster - as in 25 tickets he had to secure at the last minute for family and friends. Schierholtz received word on the bus ride home late Sunday night from a road trip to Las Vegas - the only time this season Fresno took a bus. ``Exciting. I wasn't expecting it,'' he said. ``I'll be happy to get some at_bats and some opportunities to show what I can do.''
SEATTLE: RHP Chris Reitsma (elbow inflammation) was placed on the 15-day disabled list and LHP Jake Woods was called up from Triple-A Tacoma. Reitsma was on the DL from May 19 to June 4 because of the injury. He made two appearances after being activated, but felt pain in the elbow after pitching an inning in Sunday's 4-3 win over San Diego. Reitsma is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 18 appearances. Woods begins his second stint with the Mariners this season. He has no record and a 5.87 ERA in two appearances. ... 1B Richie Sexson, a .118 career hitter (2-for-17) against Indians RHP Paul Byrd, didn't start. ... The Mariners made their third trip to Cleveland this season. Their entire four-game series scheduled April 6-9 at Jacobs Field was snowed out. One makeup game was played in Cleveland on May 21. Another will be played at Jacobs Field on Aug. 30. The final makeup game will be played on Sept. 26 as part of a doubleheader in Seattle. The Mariners, who played in San Diego on Sunday, open a three-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night. ... RHP Miguel Batista, who will start Wednesday against the Cubs, pitched an inning of relief Sunday.
CLEVELAND: The Indians have yet to announce their starting pitcher for Thursday's game against Florida. The pitcher likely will be called up from Triple-A Buffalo. ... RHP Jake Westbrook (strained left abdominal) will make his third start on a rehabilitation assignment at Class-A Lake County on Wednesday. If the Indians determine he doesn't need another rehab outing, he could rejoin the team and start against Philadelphia on June 19. ... The Indians have begun negotiations with INF Beau Mills, their No. 1 pick in the first-year player draft. Mills was the 13th overall pick. ... RHP Fausto Carmona, who has won his last seven decisions, will start Tuesday against the Marlins. ... LHP C.C. Sabathia had two hits Sunday in Cincinnati. The last Indians pitcher to have two hits in a game was Jaret Wright on June 30, 1998, against Milwaukee. ... After completing a three-game series in Florida on Thursday, the Indians play 14 of the following 17 games at Jacobs Field. ... Indians batters have been hit by a pitch 36 times, tied for second in the majors with Kansas City.
HOUSTON: OF Hunter Pence, who had to leave Friday's game against the White Sox with a hip flexor strain, was back in the lineup. Luke Scott, who also got a hip flexor strain on Saturday, tested the injury before the game and said he was about 75 percent. ``Hopefully, he'll be all right by tomorrow,'' manager Phil Garner said. ... Garner said he's toyed with the idea of flip-flopping his two hitting stars, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee, in the batting order but decided against it. Berkman, who is still playing as he appeals a two-game suspension handed down last week for his outburst following an ejection in Colorado, has been batting third and Lee cleanup. Lee has produced 52 RBIs as the No. 4 hitter. ... Brad Lidge had pitched 11 straight scoreless innings, and Garner recently said he planned to gradually move Lidge back into the closer's role when the situation was right.
CHICAGO: 3B Aramis Ramirez was put on the DL retroactive to June 7 to give him time to recover from patellar tendinitis in his left knee. Mark DeRosa will get most of the time at third base in Ramirez's absence. The Cubs need a cleanup hitter and turned to Jacque Jones on Monday. But Cliff Floyd, who came off the bereavement list Monday, could take that spot against right-handers. ... With his bullpen depleted, manager Lou Piniella said starters Jason Marquis and Ted Lilly would be available as relievers. Both had short outings in their previous starts. Marquis was knocked out of his Saturday start after 1 2-3 innings and Lilly was ejected in the first inning Sunday night after hitting Edgar Renteria with a pitch. ... Koyie Hill was behind the plate catching Carlos Zambrano. Piniella decided to rest Michael Barrett, thus delaying the reunion of Barrett and Zambrano on the field. The two fought in the dugout and later in the clubhouse June 1 with Barrett getting a black eye and needing six stitches to close a cut in his lip. Will Barrett be back behind the plate the next time Zambrano pitches? ``We'll see where we go with it,'' Piniella said.
NEW YORK: Vern Hoscheit, the Mets' bullpen coach from 1984-87, died in Pierce, Neb., team spokesman Jay Horwitz said. Hoscheit was 85. ... LF Moises Alou had an MRI in New York that revealed inflammation and soreness in his left quadriceps. ``Nothing's better. I don't think that he's in a situation where he's going to be back anytime soon,'' manager Willie Randolph said. ``We'll just have to be patient and hope he starts feeling better soon.'' Injured May 12, Alou is hitting .318 with two homers and 13 RBIs in 30 games. ... RHP Ambiorix Burgos, optioned to Triple-A New Orleans on May 30, has come up with an elbow problem. ``We're going to shut him down for a little while and give him some treatment,'' Randolph said. ``All I know is that he's not going to be pitching in the near future, but there's no diagnosis I can give you yet.''
LOS ANGELES: 1B Nomar Garciaparra, who started 57 of the Dodgers' first 62 games, wasn't in the lineup for the second consecutive game. Manager Grady Little said he told Garciaparra he wanted to give him a little break - two games, possibly three. Garciaparra had five hits in his last 30 at_bats. ... OF Juan Pierre, dropped to eighth in the lineup for two games, was back in the No. 2 spot. ... Victoria Beckham filmed scenes for her upcoming reality show before the game, and then threw out the ceremonial first pitch. NBC has signed a deal for six episodes of a 30-minute unscripted series chronicling the former Posh Spice's relocation from Europe with her husband, David, who has signed to play with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. ... Russell Martin has taken the NL lead at catcher in All-Star balloting. He leads Mets C Paul Lo Duca by nearly 13,000 votes.
Crede to have back surgery
MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- Joe Crede will undergo back surgery on Tuesday, performed by Dr. Robert Watkins, as announced by the White Sox after Monday's 3-0 loss to the Phillies.
The White Sox third baseman traveled to Los Angeles this weekend, and athletic trainer Herm Schneider informed manager Ozzie Guillen of the news during the course of the series opener. The announcement put a further damper on a dour White Sox clubhouse following the fifth time they were shut out this season.
Even Josh Fields, who Guillen said would become the team's starting third baseman in Crede's absence, was at a loss for words.
"It's an unfortunate deal," said Fields of Crede's impending surgery, which he was informed about during his postgame meal. "Hopefully, it will end up curing Joe's problems with his back. It's a tough deal, but hopefully everything goes well and he turns out all right.
"I really can't even get excited. I don't know how to take it right now."
According to a White Sox spokesperson, the type of procedure to be performed on Crede on Tuesday and the length of time for his recovery was not known as of Monday night. Crede had talked early last week of a surgery that would drain fluid from around two herniated discs in his lower back, which would cause him one month of pure recovery time and another month of non-baseball rehab.
But nothing certain would be known until the surgery was complete and the doctor could make sure he found what was expected with Crede's back. Crede opted against having back surgery in the offseason, going instead with an intensive strengthening program, which kept him healthy throughout Spring Training.
Pain resurfaced near the end of May, causing Crede to leave early from the final Cubs game at Wrigley Field, and it became bad enough in recent weeks where Crede had trouble sleeping or doing normal life functions. With Crede out of action possibly until September or longer, Fields will have to pick up the slack and pick up his average from its current .143 position.
"For me, it will be a positive to get more at-bats," Fields said. "But just like a lot of younger guys, I need to get my hitting back to where it was when I was in [Triple-A] Charlotte.
"They can want to get me as many at-bats as they can. But I imagine, if I don't get a couple of hits every now and then, I'm sure there are other people they can try out there at third."
Aurilia receives more injections in his neck
June 12, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Giants infielder Rich Aurilia will be sidelined for a couple of days after receiving three more injections in his neck Monday to alleviate the pain that has bothered him for six weeks.
Aurilia arrived late at the ballpark for Monday night's 4-3 victory over Toronto and didn't play after receiving the shots in the left side of his neck. He said he will likely sit out Tuesday and Wednesday as well before returning to action for a three-game series in Boston starting Friday.
Aurilia missed four starts last month because of a stiff neck that required shots. This time, Aurilia said he received ``epidural-type injections'' between three vertebrae. He was still groggy and recovering from a long day that included him needing an IV.
Aurilia had hoped the problem would clear up for good with the first round of shots.
``It came back again,'' he said. ``I'm down till we get to Boston. Hopefully this works. It couldn't hurt (to do it). Hopefully this is the final thing to knock it out.''
Aurilia went 2-for-4 in Sunday's 2-0 loss to Oakland after going 0-for-6 in his previous three games. The 35-year-old Aurilia is batting .241 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in his second stint with San Francisco, but hasn't homered in 47 at_bats since connecting May 20 off Joe Kennedy of the Athletics.
Aurilia signed an $8 million, two-year deal in December to return to the Giants as the team's primary first baseman, though he has been sharing duties with Ryan Klesko and has been filling in all over the infield.
He helped San Francisco reach the World Series in 2002 despite struggling with injuries. The Giants went 82-46 with him in the lineup that season and 13-20 when he didn't start, and Aurilia had a team-leading 17 RBIs during the postseason. He had six home runs in 17 postseason games, a Giants run that fell short against the wild-card Angels.
Aurilia receives more injections in his neck
That just sounds painful 😮
Reds recall Coffey; Burton to DL
June 12, 2007
CINCINNATI (AP) -The Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday recalled relief pitcher Todd Coffey from Triple-A Louisville and placed reliever Jared Burton on the 15-day disabled list with back spasms.
The Reds also activated right-hander Elizardo Ramirez from the disabled list and optioned him to Louisville, where he was scheduled to start Tuesday night.
Coffey, 26, has been optioned twice to Louisville in the last three weeks. The right-hander pitched twice in last week's series at St. Louis before returning to Louisville last Friday to make room for rookie starter Homer Bailey.
This is the second trip to the disabled list for Burton, 26, acquired from Oakland in December's winter-meeting Rule 5 draft of unprotected players. The Reds have to keep the right-hander on their 25-man roster or DL this season, or must offer him back to the Athletics for $25,000.
Ramirez, 24, broke into the Reds' starting rotation last season before being sidelined by shoulder problems.
Reynolds hired by MLB.com
June 12, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -Fired by ESPN last year, former major leaguer Harold Reynolds was hired as a broadcaster by MLB.com.
Reynolds sued ESPN in October, contending he was wrongly fired from a $6 million, six-year contract after a female intern complained about what he called a ``brief and innocuous'' hug. He had been with the network since 1996.
Reynolds was to make his MLB.com debut Tuesday and will be on site following the All-Star break five times each week at 2 p.m. EDT. Other former players on MLB.com include Billy Sample, Jim Leyritz, Brian McRae and John Marzano.