Rangers activate Catalanotto from DL
May 21st, 2007
Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers activated outfielder Frank Catalanotto from the 15-day disabled list and optioned infielder Travis Metcalf to Double-A Frisco on Monday.
Catalanotto made five rehab appearances, including one at Double-A Frisco (May 12) and four at Triple-A Oklahoma, where he went .385 (5-13) with two doubles and five runs scored. The 33-year-old has played in 18 games for the Rangers this season and was hitting just .140 with two home runs and eight runs batted in before being put on the DL May 1 with tendonitis in his right bicep.
Metcalf played in two games for the Rangers after the club purchased his contract last Thursday.
Colorado activates Kaz Matsui
May 21, 2007
PHOENIX (AP) -The Colorado Rockies activated second baseman Kaz Matsui on Monday and optioned Omar Quintanilla to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Matsui missed 32 games with lower back spasms. Matsui, who was in the lineup for Monday night's game against Arizona, hit .361 (13-for-36) with three RBIs in nine games before the injury.
Manager Clint Hurdle said he would limit Matsui's playing time at first.
``We won't overload him early,'' Hurdle said.
Quintanilla hit .256 (11-for-43) in 14 games in his third stint with the Rockies.
Giants activate Ortiz from DL and put him in bullpen
May 21, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Russ Ortiz came off the disabled list Monday and assumed a new role for the San Francisco Giants: as a reliever.
Ortiz, the right-hander who began the season as the team's fifth starter, returned after being sidelined since May 2 with an irritated nerve in his pitching elbow. Hard-throwing rookie Tim Lincecum took his spot in the rotation and has done plenty to keep his job.
Manager Bruce Bochy plans to use Ortiz in a variety of roles in the bullpen.
``It will be an adjustment,'' Bochy said. ``We'll see how he bounces back.''
The Giants optioned left-hander Jonathan Sanchez to Triple-A Fresno so he can get more work. While the team initially said it was grooming Sanchez as a starter, he has worked only in relief this season and San Francisco plans to keep it that way through 2007.
Sanchez went 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA in 14 appearances totaling 14 2-3 innings this season. The Giants want him to pitch a couple of innings every two to three days, hoping he will improve by pitching on a consistent basis.
``He just needs work,'' Bochy said. ``This kid is going to have a nice major league career. I think it's the best thing for Sanchy and he'll benefit from it. I think he's lost command of his off-speed pitches. He's got great stuff. This kid is going to get back up here and probably won't see the minor leagues again. That's how good this kid is.''
Ortiz earned another chance to be a starter after an awful 2006 when he signed on for a second stint with the Giants in January.
He had many ups and downs since leaving the Giants after the 2002 season, when he walked off the mound eight outs away from a World Series title only to see the bullpen blow a five-run lead in Game 6 and the wild-card Angels go on to win the seventh game, too.
He was traded to Atlanta in December 2002, followed by 36 wins and a pair of division titles in two seasons. After parlaying that into a $33 million, four-year contract with Arizona, little went right.
He went 5-11 in his first season with the Diamondbacks before everything fell apart last year in an 0-8 campaign, a release from Arizona and recommendations that he should call it a career.
He was winless in 26 outings, including 11 starts, overall last year for the Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles, who dropped him out of their rotation in July.
Baseball Today
May 22, 2007
Houston at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EDT). Astros ace Roy Oswalt faces off against Giants rookie Tim Lincecum in a rematch of last Thursday's duel.
-Alex Rodriguez, Yankees, hit his major league-leading 18th homer in New York's 6-2 victory over Boston.
-Javier Valentin, Reds, hit a pinch-hit two-run homer in an 8-7 comeback win over Washington.
-Darin Erstad, White Sox, had three RBIs in Chicago's 8-5 defeat of Oakland.
-Gerald Laird, Rangers, hit a grand slam and had five RBIs in a 14-4 rout of Minnesota.
-Carlos Quentin, Diamondbacks, homered twice and drove in a career-high five runs as Arizona rallied to beat Colorado 6-5.
One hefty snowstorm and 45 days later, the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners finally played nine innings. Casey Blake homered and Josh Barfield had two RBIs as the Indians remained baseball's best home team with a 5-2 win against the Mariners on Monday night. The game was a makeup of the April 6 home opener at Jacobs Field, which was called after the clubs played 4 2-3 innings in a snowstorm that dumped more than 2 feet on the ballpark and caused the entire four-game series to be postponed.
Randy Winn extended his career-best hitting streak to 20 games in San Francisco's 4-0 win over Houston on Monday night. ... Alex Rodriguez homered for the third straight game in the Yankees' 6-2 win over Boston. Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 16 games in the win. ... Kevin Youkilis extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games for Boston in the loss. ... Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 14 games in Seattle's 5-2 loss to Cleveland.
Brandon Phillips went 0-for-4 in Cincinnati's 8-7 win over Washington on Monday night, ending his hitting streak at 22 games. ... Jorge Posada went 0-for-3 in the Yankees' 6-2 victory over Boston, ending his career-high hitting streak at 15 games.
Seattle began a 6,273-mile, four-city trip with its fifth loss in six games, 5-2 to Cleveland on Monday night.
``We're working our way out of this hole. I hope that as this weather warms up, so does the offense.'' - Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, on his team's back-to-back wins over the Mets and Red Sox. Giambi homered in a 6-2 win over Boston in the first game of a three-game set Monday night. The Yankees are trying to climb out of a 9 1/2 game hole in the AL East as a result of a 20-23 start.
Twins: Perkins suffers shoulder strain
Glen Perkins left Monday's game after straining a muscle in his left shoulder while striking out the Rangers' Frank Catalanotto in the eighth inning, according to the AP. Manager Ron Gardenhire said Perkins will be placed on the disabled list on Tuesday.
White Sox: Crede out with a tight back
Joe Crede, who left Sunday's game against the Cubs with tightness in his lower back, wasn't in the starting lineup for Monday's game against Oakland, according to the AP. Crede did not take batting practice Monday and will be re-evaluated Tuesday.
White Sox 3B Joe Crede (back) is doubtful.
A's RF Milton Bradley (hamstring) is doubtful.
Reds CF Josh Hamilton (stomach) is doubtful.
Devil Rays will likely place C Josh Paul (elbow) on the DL later this week according to the Tampa Tribune.
Reds have put CF Josh Hamilton on the DL and recalled Edwin Encarnacion according to the Cincinnati Post.
Reds place Hamilton on DL
May 22nd, 2007
Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Cincinnati Reds outfielder Josh Hamilton was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with gastroenteritis.
Hamilton was taken by ambulance to Lutheran Hospital in Cleveland on Sunday, where he was diagnosed with an infection of the gastrointestinal tract. He later returned to the team's hotel and was originally listed as day- to-day.
The 25-year-old Hamilton, a former No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 draft by Tampa Bay, was out of baseball for more than three years while battling drug addiction and injuries. He returned to the game in 2005 and was acquired by the Reds through a Rule 5 draft trade in 2006.
Hamilton is batting .261 with eight homers and 18 RBI in 37 games this season, and was named the National League's top rookie in April after belting six homers and driving in 13 runs.
Third baseman Edwin Encarnacion was recalled from Triple-A Louisville to take Hamilton's roster spot.
With Devil Rays C Josh Paul (elbow) likely going on the DL Dioner Navarro is the starting catcher tonight.
Mariners LF Raul Ibanez (back) is not in the starting lineup; Jason Ellison is starting in left.
Nationals RF Ryan Church (forearm) is not in the starting lineup; Austin Kearns is starting in right.
Braves cut struggling LHP Redman
May 22, 2007
ATLANTA (AP) -The Atlanta Braves gave struggling pitcher Mark Redman his unconditional release on Tuesday and resumed the search for a fifth starter.
Former No. 1 pick Joey Devine was called up from Double-A Mississippi.
Redman, an All-Star with Kansas City in 2006, signed with Atlanta during spring training after Mike Hampton went down with an injury.
But Redman never got untracked for the Braves. In six appearances, including five starts, Redman went 0-4 with an 11.63 ERA and gave up a staggering 38 hits in 21 2-3 innings.
The left-hander went on the disabled list this month for surgery to remove an ingrown toenail. He returned to make his last appearance Saturday, giving up a grand slam to Boston's Mike Lowell in his first relief outing of the season.
``I still wanted to give him one more shot,'' manager Bobby Cox said. ``I thought it was only fair.''
After Redman went on the disabled list, the Braves called up Anthony Lerew to fill the fifth spot in the rotation. The rookie had an impressive debut, then struggled in his last two outings before going on the 15-day DL over the weekend with inflamed nerves in his right forearm.
Devine, the Braves' top pick in the 2005 draft, is best known for giving up an 18th-inning homer to Chris Burke in the opening round of the playoffs that season. The homer ended the longest postseason game in history and sent Houston to the NL championship series.
Devine has struggled with his control during his previous stints with the Braves. But the right-hander will at least provide an extra arm in the bullpen through Saturday, when the Braves must come up with another starter.
The budget-conscious Braves have already cut two free agents who were signed before the season to fill out their roster.
Outfielder Craig Wilson, who got a $2 million, one-year deal, was released last week after batting .172 in his brief stint with Atlanta. Redman signed a $750,000 contract and didn't last much longer.
Cubs promote Marshall from Triple-A
May 22, 2007
SAN DIEGO (AP) -The Chicago Cubs recalled left-hander Sean Marshall from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday and moved him into the rotation.
Marshall will start Wednesday at San Diego. He took the roster spot of left-handed reliever Neal Cotts, who was optioned to Iowa on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Marshall was 6-9 with a 5.59 ERA for the Cubs in 2006, making 24 starts. He pitched only one inning in spring training while rehabilitating a left shoulder injury and began the season in the minors. He was 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in five combined appearances with Class-A Daytona and Iowa.
The 27-year-old Cotts was 0-1 with a 4.86 ERA in 16 relief appearances with Chicago.
Athletics put Duchscherer on DL
May 22nd, 2007
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics placed right-handed pitcher Justin Duchscherer on the 15-day disabled list with a right hip strain on Tuesday. The move is retroactive to May 15.
Duchscherer is 3-3 with a 4.96 earned-run average in 17 relief appearances this season.
This is just the second time in Duchscherer's six-year career he has been on the DL. Last year, he spent from May 7 to June 23 on the DL with right elbow tendinitis.
The Athletics now have nine players on the DL and Duchscherer joins fellow pitchers Huston Street (right ulnar nerve irritation), Rich Harden (right shoulder strain) and Esteban Loaiza (muscle spasms) on the DL.
To take Duchscherer's place on the roster, Oakland purchased the contract of right-hander Colby Lewis from Triple-A Sacramento. He is expected to make his first appearance of the season when he start's Tuesday game against the White Sox. The 27-year-old was 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA in eight starts for Sacramento.