Cleanup sitter: A-Rod makes rare DL appearance

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained right quadriceps, leaving another major hole in the New York Yankees lineup.

Worth Every Dollar

Since signing his record-setting contract with the Rangers, Alex Rodriguez has shown up for work almost every day.

Piniella: Soriano to bat leadoff in Thursday return

CHICAGO -- Alfonso Soriano will remain at the top of the Chicago Cubs' order for now.

Soriano

Manager Lou Piniella said Soriano will stay in left field and bat lead off when he returns from the 15-day disabled list Thursday, just as he had been doing.

Delgado certain he didn't need to take curtain call

NEW YORK -- A steady rainfall and a dicey evening forecast gave Carlos Delgado a one-day respite from Mets fans and how they might react to what some in the New York media are calling "the snub."

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Mets were rained out Monday night, the game postponed nearly two hours before the schedule first pitch. The game was rescheduled for Monday, Aug. 11, at 1:10 p.m.

That means Delgado will have to wait until Tuesday night -- weather permitting -- to see how the always outspoken crowd at Shea Stadium reacts to him.

Sitting down? All-Star Game tickets start at $150

NEW YORK -- Fans will pay starry prices for this year's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

Tickets will be priced between $150 and $725 for the July 15 game, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday. That's up from $75-$285 for last year's game at San Francisco and $10-15 for box and reserved seats the last time the All-Stars were at Yankee Stadium, in 1977.

Tickets for the Home Run Derby and workout day on July 14 are $100-$650, an increase from $50-$225 last year. Tickets for the Futures Game on July 13 are $50-225, up from $22.50-$125 last year.

Yanks' Posada put on DL for first time in career

CLEVELAND -- The New York Yankees took the field Monday missing a familiar face: Jorge Posada, the club's proud catcher and one of its leaders, was in Alabama getting his injured right shoulder examined.

Big Papi sits out again because of knee bruise

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz was out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game Sunday with a bruised right knee.

Braves' Smoltz complains of shoulder discomfort

NEW YORK -- John Smoltz left Atlanta's 6-3 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday with what he called "discomfort" in his throwing shoulder. John Smoltz

Umpire out of hospital after taking fastball to jaw

LOS ANGELES -- Umpire Kerwin Danley was released from a hospital early Sunday morning, about 5 hours after he took a 96 mph fastball to the right side of his jaw -- briefly losing consciousness when the pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny slammed into his face mask.

Danley, a native of Los Angeles, was resting comfortably Sunday afternoon at the home of his mother, who attended Saturday night's game and rode with him in an ambulance to the hospital. His brother, Kevin, met them at the hospital, where they were joined by umpire Greg Gibson after the game.

Yankees recall Duncan, send Traber to Triple-A

CLEVELAND -- Shelley Duncan was recalled from the minor leagues and started in right field Saturday for the New York Yankees, who sent left-handed reliever Billy Traber back to Triple-A before facing the Cleveland Indians.

Duncan was batting .309 with six homers and 17 RBIs in 15 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In three games against Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate this week, Duncan hit two homers and drove in seven runs. Last season, he batted .257 in 34 games for the Yankees.

Crasnick: D-backs' lineup packs a powerful bite

LOS ANGELES -- The Arizona Diamondbacks' quick start has generated hope in the Valley of the Sun and a slew of fresh adjectives to describe the team's offense. Try dynamic, energetic, balanced, prolific and fun, for starters. Manager Bob Melvin, the man entrusted with filling out the lineup card each night, prefers another, more measured designation. Since he's the guy standing at the top step of the dugout greeting all those hitters who cross home plate, he should be afforded that luxury. "We're a little dysfunctional," Melvin says. "But somehow it's working for us right now." Melvin, in his fourth year with the club, has never had much trouble using his imagination in the quest to maximize his resources. Last year he used 146 different lineup combinations to squeeze a division title from a team with a minus-20 run differential. But even Melvin's eternal optimist within might have been taxed envisioning the events of this April. [+] Enlarge

The Big Hurt returns: Athletics agree with Thomas

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Big Hurt is back in the Bay Area -- and it's as if he never left.

Big Hurt, Big ImpactFrank Thomas joining the Oakland Athletics could have a big impact on his fantasy owners -- and on his A's teammates, who will likely see fewer plate appearances as a result of the Big Hurt's return to the Bay, writes Eric Karabell. Story

Twins send Liriano back to minors after slow start

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Struggling left-hander Francisco Liriano was sent back to the minors by the Minnesota Twins on Friday, after posting an 11.32 ERA and losing all three starts since returning to the rotation.

Liriano was sent to Triple-A Rochester before Friday night's game at Texas, and it was not a surprise. He gave up six runs and got only two outs on Thursday against Oakland, his latest failure to find the strike zone in a return from reconstructive elbow surgery.

Rays' Kazmir makes 2nd minor league rehab start

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Tampa Bay ace Scott Kazmir pitched 4 2/3 innings in his second minor league rehab start Wednesday and remains on schedule to rejoin the Rays' rotation in about 10 days.

Selig may not fine team officials in Mitchell report

NEW YORK -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig hinted strongly Thursday that management officials implicated in the Mitchell Report won't be suspended or fined.

Speaking to the Associated Press Sports Editors, Selig indicated public service will be required of officials found to have acted improperly.

"They're going to be treated the same way" as the players, Selig said.

Earlier this month, management and the players' association agreed that no players implicated by Mitchell will be disciplined but that all players would be available to perform public service.

Nats' Cordero to have right shoulder examined

ATLANTA -- Washington Nationals closer Chad Cordero will have his right shoulder examined on Wednesday by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

Cordero came off the 15-day disabled list on Saturday after missing 12 games because of shoulder tendinitis. The right-hander has no record and no save opportunities in four games this season.

"He's not in any pain," Nationals general manager Jim Bowden said before his team's game against the Atlanta Braves. "He just feels a click. A click can be normal. A lot of pitchers have it, but he's never had it."

Canseco talks steroids with federal investigators

LOS ANGELES -- Jose Canseco reaffirmed Tuesday that Roger Clemens did not attend a party at his house that has become a focal point of a federal investigation.

Canseco was interviewed by federal agents and answered a series of questions about a variety of subjects and about his knowledge of steroid use in baseball, said his attorney, Gregory Emerson.

The former AL MVP was questioned about his new book, "Vindicated," and "some of the issues that have arisen earlier in the [Congressional] hearings," Emerson said.

Brewers ace Sheets to skip start on Wednesday

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers ace Ben Sheets will skip his start on Wednesday because of soreness in his right triceps that caused him to leave his last start. Health Concerns

Ben Sheets was off to his best start (3-0, 0.96 ERA, 24 K, 4 BB), but the trend of getting hurt in recent seasons has come back to haunt him. Here's a look at his career: Avg. IPAvg. Rec. First 4 seasons 206 1/3 11-13 Last 3 seasons 134 2/3 9-7

Sources: A's showing interest in signing Thomas

Frank Thomas finished fourth in the MVP balloting with the Oakland Athletics two seasons ago, and sources say the Athletics will have a discussion about whether to sign Thomas in the next 48 hours now that he's been cut by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Thomas, who turns 40 next month, was hitting .167 with 13 strikeouts in 60 at-bats for the Blue Jays, following a spring training in which talent evaluators with other teams wondered if Thomas's bat speed had slowed to the point of no return. Thomas got off to a poor start for the Athletics two seasons ago, hitting .190 in April and .268 in May before effectively carrying the Athletics for the last four months of the season and finishing the year with 39 homers and 114 RBIs.

Despite injury, Chipper hopeful to play Monday

ATLANTA -- Chipper Jones irritated his strained right quadriceps while running out a double and left the Atlanta Braves' 6-1 victory against Los Angeles on Sunday.

A's reliever Foulke hits DL with stiffness in neck

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics put right-hander Keith Foulke on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with stiffness in his neck.

Foulke has one save and a 2.57 ERA in seven appearances this season, but hasn't pitched since April 10. The move was retroactive to April 11.

The 35-year-old Foulke came out of retirement in February to sign a $700,000, one-year contract to return to the A's. The deal allows him to earn up to $2.5 million in bonuses. Before this year, the former A's closer last pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2006.

Cards' Mulder goes 6 strong in second rehab start

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals left-hander Mark Mulder, trying to come back from two shoulder operations, pitched six scoreless innings for Double-A Springfield on Sunday in his second rehabilitation outing.

Royals designate Nomo; righty's career over?

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Hideo Nomo's career in the majors might be over.

The Kansas City Royals designated the right-hander for assignment Sunday, perhaps ending his 12-year career in the big leagues. Pitcher Luke Hochevar was called up from Triple-A Omaha.

Nomo was among the Japanese pioneers in the big leagues, and threw two no-hitters in the majors. He was trying to make a comeback at the age of 39 after having elbow surgery in 2006, but pitched only three times and 4 1/3 innings for the Royals this year.

Blue Jays' Thomas, in slump, angered by benching

TORONTO -- Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Frank Thomas was livid Saturday after getting benched in favor of Matt Stairs and being told by manager John Gibbons he can expect further cuts to his playing time.

Thomas was hitless in his past 13 at-bats and has gone 4-for-35 since homering in three straight games April 5-8.

The 39-year-old Thomas signed a two-year, $18-million contract with Toronto in November 2006. The deal includes a $10 million option for 2009, but only if Thomas makes 376 plate appearances this season.

Rays lock up Longoria for six years, $17.5 million

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Rookie third baseman Evan Longoria and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed Friday to a $17.5 million, six-year contract, a deal that could be worth up to $44.5 million over nine seasons.

Taken third overall in the 2006 amateur draft, Longoria appeared in just six major league game before agreeing to the deal. If he isn't sent down to the minors again, he would be guaranteed $19 million.

Report: Trainer says he's Canseco book's 'Max'

NEW YORK -- The person Jose Canseco claims was a steroids dealer he introduced to Alex Rodriguez was a trainer named Joseph Dion, Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site Friday.

Dion, in an interview with SI on Tuesday, said he was against the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Speaking before the New York Yankees played at Baltimore on Friday night, Rodriguez acknowledged knowing Dion.

"He's a Christian man, a good man. A great man, actually," Rodriguez said. "I'm very friendly with Joseph. But I don't really see him that often. I've probably seen him this winter, four or five times in passing. … In passing, [we talked] maybe three or four times a winter."

Braves pitcher Hampton throws in bullpen session

ATLANTA -- Mike Hampton is still a bit timid about his long-delayed comeback.

Hampton

The Braves left-hander, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2005, had another stint in the bullpen prior to Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.