Catcher Joe Mauer improving, but still misses third straight game for Minnesota Twins

MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer's bruised left heel is improving, but Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says he isn't ready to put the AL MVP back in the lineup just yet.

Mauer

Mauer was not in the lineup for the third straight game, missing the series opener against the Detroit Tigers on Monday night. He was injured on Friday and has what the team is calling a deep bone bruise.

Mauer was not available for comment before the game. Gardenhire says Mauer is still sore, "but he's better than yesterday." Mauer is listed as day-to-day.

Wilson Ramos got his second straight start at catcher in Mauer's place. He got four hits in his major league debut Sunday.

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Atlanta Braves closer Billy Wagner to retire after season

ATLANTA -- Billy Wagner has given the Atlanta Braves early notice he plans to retire after the season to spend more time with his family.

Wagner

Wagner said he is making his plans known early this season so the Braves can have time to prepare for 2011.

Wagner, 38, plans to retire even though he has a $6.5 million option to play in 2011.

He said the extra time he spent with his wife and four children while recovering from elbow ligament-replacement surgery in 2008 made it more difficult to be away from his Virginia home.

"I think when I was home with the kids I just enjoyed it, probably too much," Wagner said. "It's where I want to be and I think it's something else the Lord has got for me to do and I'm going to go that way."

Wagner used an off day on Monday for a quick trip to his home in Crozet, Va., near Charlottesville. The Braves open a series at Washington on Tuesday.

Braves general manger Frank Wren said Wagner's decision is not a complete surprise.

"We knew this was a possibility from the beginning," Wren said Monday. "We respect Billy's desire to be with his family and we are glad he is with us this year."

The 2011 option for Wagner kicks in if he finishes 50 games this season. He is 1-0 with two saves and a 2.00 ERA in his first season as the Atlanta Braves' closer.

Wagner has proved he has made a full recovery from his elbow surgery. The left-hander's fastball still hits the upper 90s on the radar gun.

He is sixth all-time with 387 career saves, including two this season.

Wagner is chasing John Franco's record of 424 saves by a left-hander. In spring training, Wagner said he was motivated by the record, but now he says he'll retire even if he falls short of that mark this season.

Wagner said he told manager Bobby Cox of his decision on Friday so the Braves would know what to expect when preparing for next season.

"I really just wanted to make sure they know where I stand so if something comes up and they have to make a move they're not caught off-guard," Wagner said.

Wagner said he didn't discuss the possibility of retirement during contract negotiations with the Braves last winter.

"No, I didn't think it was the time," he said. "I thought we should go on and get playing and see where it goes. We were planning to tell them at the right time."

Wagner said his decision so early in the 2010 season was not an indication he is not satisfied with his performance.

"It has no bearing on how I'm pitching," he said. "I just think it's the right time. I'd like to be able to go out when I feel halfway decent and not laboring to get through seasons and then I can enjoy my family when I'm done."

Wagner made his debut with Houston in 1995 and remained with the Astros through the 2003 season, when he set a career high with 44 saves. He was Philadelphia's closer for two years before four years with the Mets. He had elbow surgery in September 2008, and returned with the Mets last season before he was traded to the Boston Red Sox.

He has a 2.38 ERA in 791 career games.

Wagner and his wife, Sarah, have three sons and one daughter, ages 3 to 11.

He had a quick answer when asked about his plans for retirement.

"I'm going to be a Little League coach with my kids," he said. "I enjoy it. I enjoy being around them and being on the farm and want to do a lot of stuff with my church. That's really what I want to do, just slow it down and see what comes along."

The Braves don't have an obvious closer in line for 2011.

Takashi Saito, also in his first season in Atlanta, has been a closer in his career, but he is 40. Peter Moylan, 31, has been effective in a set-up role but has only two career saves in his five years with the team.

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Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins still slowed by strained right calf

PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins still feels tightness in his strained right calf and says it could be the end of the month before he returns to the lineup.

“

I've pulled a muscle, I've strained my groin a little, but not something like this where you feel like somebody shot you.

”-- Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins

Rollins has been on the disabled list since April 14 with the injury occurring during warmups before Philadelphia's home opener. Rollins said before Sunday's game against the Mets he'd like to be back in two weeks.

"I've pulled a muscle, I've strained my groin a little, but not something like this where you feel like somebody shot you. That's different," Rollins said.

"I've never been in that situation. They said two to four weeks and they weren't talking about being healthy; they were talking about determining what the next step would be. It's probably pretty accurate, unfortunately."

The three-time All-Star says he still feels tightness when he moves to his left fielding groundballs. Rollins also feels the calf acting up when he shuffles side-to-side.

The 31-year-old leadoff hitter was off to a hot start, hitting .391 and scoring eight runs in seven games. Rollins was also showing more patience at the plate, drawing seven walks.

He doesn't know when he'll try and run.

"Once we get past jogging, we'll progress," he said. "Until then, I don't have a set date."

The Phillies also said that Joe Blanton will make his first start of the season against St. Louis on Monday. Blanton has been on the disabled list while recovering from an oblique strain suffered in spring training.

The Phillies will have to make a move before Monday's game to make room for Blanton on the roster. Kyle Kendrick will get the start on Wednesday against the Cardinals.

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Former major leaguer Dave Roberts has lymphoma

Dave Roberts, whose stolen base for Boston in the 2004 playoffs sparked the Red Sox to an elusive World Series championship, is being treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Roberts

Roberts was diagnosed in mid-March and he says the cancer was detected early. He says the prognosis is "good." He has undergone two rounds of chemotherapy so far.

The 37-year-old Roberts is working for the San Diego Padres as a special assistant. He was scheduled to talk about his health later Monday.

Roberts played 10 seasons in the majors for Cleveland, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston, San Diego and San Francisco. The speedy outfielder retired after the 2008 season with the Giants, then worked in television last year for the Red Sox.

Roberts was a career .266 hitter with 243 steals. His biggest highlight came in Game 4 of the 2004 AL championship series, where Boston was three outs away from getting swept by the New York Yankees.

With the Red Sox down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth at Fenway Park, Roberts entered as a pinch-runner after Kevin Millar drew a leadoff walk from Mariano Rivera. Roberts stole second on the first pitch and later scored the tying run on a single by Bill Mueller.

The Red Sox went on to win 6-4 in 12 innings, then became the first team in major league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win a postseason series. Roberts was on the World Series roster, but did not play as Boston swept St. Louis for its first championship since 1918.

In fact, Roberts did not get to bat at all in the 2004 postseason. Yet his steal was credited as spurring the Red Sox toward their title.

Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield was among Roberts' teammates that year.

"It's saddening to hear that a guy which has such great character as Dave Roberts was stricken with the illness. I'm optimistic that it's going to be treated and he'll live a long and healthy life," Wakefield said before Boston's home game against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

"We prayed for him in chapel yesterday. Hopefully, a lot of prayers go his way," he said.

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Brian Roberts of Baltimore Orioles (back) says he's not close to return

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles could be forced to go several months without second baseman Brian Roberts, who conceded Sunday that the timetable for his return from the disabled list is very much uncertain.

Roberts was placed on the 15-day DL on April 12 with a strained abdominal muscle and to receive further treatment on a herniated disk in his back. His stomach is no longer an issue, but he's still not ready to test his ailing back.

Roberts

At this point, there's no telling when he will be cleared to begin baseball activities.

"I don't know if it's three weeks or three months," Roberts said. "I don't think it will be three months. That's not a scenario we talked about. But I don't have any answers at this point, so I can't rule that out."

The two-time All-Star missed much of spring training after receiving an epidural shot for his back. He played his first exhibition game on March 26, then participated in the first four games of the regular season before hurting himself while stealing second base in a game against Toronto on April 9.

He received another epidural shot soon after that, and remains in a holding pattern.

"This time we're being more cautious, taking it a little slower," he said. "There are things we're still waiting to see. We're waiting for improvement in certain areas."

He won't accompany the team to New York and Minnesota for a road trip that begins Monday, but he's been with the Orioles during their current homestand. Watching Baltimore get off to a 6-18 start has left him feeling helpless.

"It's been difficult for sure, watching the team struggle," he said.

Adam Jones has been batting leadoff for Roberts and Ty Wigginton has been manning second base. It could be that way for a while.

"As soon it as was announced to me it was going to be weeks ... we just had to prepare ourselves accordingly," manager Dave Trembley said. "That's why I put Jones in the leadoff spot and I'm not going to tinker with it. Because I couldn't tell you when Brian is going to come back."

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Cleveland Indians' Kerry Wood to make first rehab start Monday

Wood

CLEVELAND -- Indians closer Kerry Wood is going to the minor leagues on an injury rehab assignment.

Wood has not pitched this season due to a strained muscle in his upper right back. The Indians announced Sunday that the right-hander is scheduled to work Monday night at Double-A Akron.

He threw two scoreless innings early in spring training before going on the disabled list for the 13th time in 12 seasons.

The 32-year-old right-hander signed a two-year, $20.5 million deal with Cleveland as a free agent in December 2008. In 58 games in 2009, he went 3-3 with a 4.25 ERA and 20 saves, striking out 63 in 55 innings.

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Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman held out with groin injury

ATLANTA -- Houston first baseman Lance Berkman has a minor groin injury and is not starting Friday night's game against the Atlanta Braves.

Berkman

The Braves are missing shortstop Yunel Escobar, who is day to day with a strained left adductor.

Houston manager Brad Mills says Berkman tweaked his left groin running to first base in his last at-bat against Cincinnati on Thursday night. Geoff Blum is the fill-in starter at first base.

Berkman missed the first 12 games of the season following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on March 13.

Omar Infante is filling in for Escobar, who suffered his injury Thursday at St. Louis.

Also, Braves manager Bobby Cox plans to push back right-hander Jair Jurrjens' next start to May 8. Jurrjens suffered a strained left hamstring in Thursday's start.

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