Big Papi headed to DL with tendon tear in left wrist

BALTIMORE -- Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a partially torn tendon in his left wrist, manager Terry Francona said Monday night.

Ortiz hurt his wrist while swinging at a pitch Saturday night in a game against the Baltimore Orioles. He missed Sunday's game, then left the team for Boston, where he underwent an MRI on Monday.

The injury was determined to be a torn ECU tendon shead.

"Surgery is very unlikely," Francona said. "We'll certainly have more information [Tuesday].

Bad Timing

David Ortiz was just getting started, and now he's headed to the DL. After a slow April, the Red Sox slugger put up more Big Papi-like numbers in May.

Ortiz In '08AprilMayBA.198.318HR58RBI2122GIDP82

The move to place Ortiz on the disabled list will occur Tuesday, Francona said, and Boston will recall right-hander Justin Masterson from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill Ortiz's spot on the roster. Masterson will start Tuesday night against Tampa Bay.

The Red Sox were hopeful Ortiz would not be gone for long.

"I don't want to speculate," Francona said. "All of us want to get a chance to talk to David and the doctors. We'll map this out to the best of their ability. I don't know more. I can't tell you more. ... We need to talk about some things."

Ortiz is batting .252 and leads the Red Sox with 13 homers and 43 RBIs.

"We've got to keep playing, the same way we're playing until he gets back," left fielder Manny Ramirezsaid. "He's a big part of the team. What can you do? You don't plan to get hurt. Let's be patient and wait for him."

Francona has options to substitute for Ortiz.

"We have good hitters," Francona said. "There are some things we can do. We can move Manny to the DH, and have an outfield that runs all over the place. We'll get it figured out."

Ramirez replaced Ortiz as Boston's DH on Sunday and Monday. He said he relishes the role.

"I love DH," Ramirez told the Boston Herald. "I'm pretty sure they're not going to miss my Gold Glove out there [in left]. We're fine. We're going to be fine."


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Tigers' Rodney, Zumaya set to begin injury rehab

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Detroit relievers Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya are set to begin injury rehabilitation assignments Tuesday, the next step toward their return to the majors.

Rodney will be assigned to Triple-A Toledo and the hard-throwing Zumaya is headed to Class A Lakeland. The right-handers were key members of a bullpen that helped the Tigers reach the 2006 World Series.

Rodney has been on the disabled list this season with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Zumaya is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder last fall.

The Tigers are off to a disappointing start this year and were 24-32 going into Monday night's game at Oakland.


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Injured Dice-K to begin strengthening shoulder

BALTIMORE -- Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka will begin a program to strengthen his sore right shoulder and hopes to be activated from the 15-day disabled list on June 12, the first day he is eligible to return.

"Just to have the exams done and to know for sure that everything's fine is really good," Matsuzaka said through a translator Saturday, before the Red Sox played the Orioles. "I believe I'll be ready."

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Starting Pitcher
Boston Red Sox

Profile

2008 Season StatsGMWLBBKERA118038552.53

Matsuzaka was placed on the DL on Friday after an MRI exam in Boston revealed a mild strain of his right rotator cuff. The move was retroactive to Wednesday. Matsuzaka is 8-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 11 starts this season.

"Even though I might feel OK, the club has told me to take this time to rest up and get healed well. Although I appreciate the rest and protection I'm getting, I do feel bad that I'm the only one getting rest at this time," Matsuzaka said. "But dwelling on that isn't going to help me heal any faster. It's too bad that how hard I work out right now won't affect the outcome of the game."

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Matsuzaka's progress with the strengthening program, which will be monitored by the team's athletic training staff, would dictate how soon he progresses to pitching.

"The throwing part will be back according to his strength, probably not the other way around," Francona said. "We want to make sure he's real strong and then when the strength is there, he can throw as much as he wants. ... We want to not only get that strength, but maintain it. That's what we feel gives him a chance to go out and pitch the rest of the year."

The Red Sox activated right-hander Clay Buchholz from the 15-day disabled list on Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A Pawtucket, where he had been on a rehabilitation assignment.

Buchholz was placed on the disabled list May 14 with a torn nail on his right middle finger. He was 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA in eight starts with Boston and had a 4.50 ERA in two rehabilitation starts after being sent to Pawtucket on May 25.

Last year, Buchholz threw a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles in his second major league start on Sept. 1.

Francona said he wanted the 23-year-old Buchholz to work on his command, fastball consistency and his arm slot while in Triple-A.

"There were some things that needed to be worked on and this is probably the best opportunity to do it," Francona said.

Meanwhile, outfielder J.D. Drew said he's feeling better after missing Friday's game with vertigo symptoms.

Drew said he took medication and kept himself hydrated Friday night, which helped alleviated the lightheadedness that kept him out of the lineup.

"It's a lot better," he said. "I've had little bouts here and there, but this is the first time it's been a day or two at a time. It's never lingered. But I'm 100 percent better one day to the next."

Drew wasn't in the starting lineup Saturday and Francona wasn't sure he would be available.

"He's still a little dizzy," Francona said.

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Nats' Zimmerman has small tear in left shoulder

Ryan Zimmerman

Third Base
Washington Nationals

Profile

2008 Season StatsGMHRRBIROBPAVG5082724.291.257 WASHINGTON -- Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has a small tear in his left, non-throwing shoulder and will require more rest.

Zimmerman has missed the last seven games because of soreness in the shoulder, which he injured during a headfirst slide into second base at Baltimore on May 18. He underwent an MRI on Monday and was then evaluated by the team orthopedist, who recommended rest and anti-inflammatory medications. The Nationals are consulting with other orthopedic physicians for additional evaluations.

Zimmerman is batting .257 with eight homers and 27 RBIs.

Also Monday, first baseman Nick Johnson's right wrist was placed in a new cast. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Johnson tore a tendon in the wrist two weeks ago.


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Reds' rotation in flux again as Fogg heads to DL

CINCINNATI -- The Reds put right-hander Josh Fogg on the 15-day disabled list with a sore back Sunday and called up right-handed reliever Gary Majewski.

The move leaves Cincinnati with more uncertainty over its fifth starter's spot.

The 31-year-old Fogg got hit hard again on Saturday, when he botched a chance to get back into the rotation. He gave up seven hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings of an 8-7 win over Atlanta.

After the game, Fogg complained about back spasms.

"We need some pitching help bad," manager Dusty Baker said. "We can't wait."

Fogg started the season in the rotation, but was demoted to long relief after three poor starts. He went 15 days between appearances out of the bullpen.

The Reds optioned right-hander Matt Belisle to Triple-A on Tuesday to turn him into a reliever. Fogg was given a chance to start against the Braves, and could have regained his spot in the rotation with a strong showing.

Majewski failed to make the team in spring training. He went 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA in 22 relief appearances with three saves in the minors. The Reds aren't sure who will take fill the open spot in the rotation.


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Pads' Prior set for season-ending shoulder surgery

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Diego Padres pitcher Mark Prior will undergo season-ending surgery on his injured right shoulder, the latest medical setback to a once-promising career.

Prior

Padres manager Bud Black announced the decision to operate before Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Prior, one of the top young pitchers in the game for the Chicago Cubs just a few years ago, has not pitched in the majors since Aug. 10, 2006.

He had been trying to make a comeback with his hometown Padres this season, but his rehab process was shut down at extended spring training about two weeks ago when he had more soreness in the shoulder. Prior, 27, had surgery on the same shoulder in April 2007 while with the Cubs.

"I can't imagine how frustrated he is," Black said. "It looked like everything was on course. Then to have this happen I'm sure is extremely frustrating. I'm upset for him just because there was such confidence from him about how he felt."

The operation to repair the anterior capsule in Prior's shoulder will be performed at Scripps Clinic as early as this week by team orthopedics Dr. Heinz Hoenecke and Dr. Jan Fronek.

The Padres won't know when, or if, Prior will be able to pitch again until after the operation.

"I think that will be determined once they go in and see what they have to repair," Black said.

Prior began throwing in January and was slowly making progress in hopes of a return to the majors. As recently as last month, the Padres still hoped Prior could make it back to the mound this season. But he never made it far enough to appear in a game at any level.

"You never know until you really step up the intensity," Black said. "And the fullest test of intensity is game action and he didn't get that far."

Prior, who is 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA in his injury-plagued career, last pitched in 2006 when he went 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA in nine games for the Cubs. He was the second overall pick in the 2001 amateur draft out of Southern California and went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 2003, finishing third in NL Cy Young Award balloting in his first full season in the majors.

But he has made only 57 starts since 2003 because of injuries to his shoulder, elbow, oblique and Achilles.

Black also said that right-hander Cha Seung Baek will start Monday against the Cubs in place of injured lefty Shawn Estes, who broke the thumb on his pitching hand when he fell on the tunnel stairs between the team's clubhouse and dugout Friday in San Francisco.

Baek was acquired last week in a trade with Seattle. He struck out the side in the 12th inning to get the win in his Padres debut on Friday night against the Giants.


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Posada throws in game, could rejoin Yankees soon

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jorge Posada passed a key test in his rehab program for a sore right shoulder and could rejoin the Yankees as early as Wednesday.

New York's catcher made two strong throws to second base in an extended spring training game Saturday, the first day he was allowed to throw to the bases in a game since being sidelined on April 27.

"The second one was better than the first one," Posada said. "It felt good throwing the ball. I'm happy with it. I'm happy the way I felt."

Posada will likely play in extended spring games Monday and Tuesday, and could rejoin the Yankees after that.

"A day off [Sunday] and play again Monday," Posada said. "We'll see how it feels Monday. Probably another game Tuesday. Get back Wednesday or Thursday."

Posada went 2-for-4, including a single and a two-run double, and caught five innings in the game against Tampa Bay minor leaguers. The five-time All-Star is 8-for-22 with four walks in five extended spring games overall.


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