Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz completes rehab assignment, will come off disabled list Monday

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Fresh from a three-game rehab assignment, Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz was back in the clubhouse Sunday morning and was scheduled to be in right field Monday for the start of a 10-game road trip in Kansas City.

"I feel good,'' Cruz said. "I was able to run the bases, go first to third, and I got to see some pitches.''

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In his tune-up at Double-A Frisco, Cruz went 4-for-11 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a stolen base.

The Rangers moved Cruz to the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 16 with a left hamstring strain. He had previous stints on the DL on April 27 (right hamstring) and May 30 (left hamstring).

When healthy, he's been a force, hitting .320 with 16 home runs, 64 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 77 games.

"Getting him back in the lineup gives us another threat and it also gives Vladdy a little protection,'' Washington said.

Jorge Cantu, batting fifth behind Vladimir Guerrero the last two games, is hitting .226 in 53 at-bats and is still looking for his first RBI as a Ranger.

Cruz says he is much further along this time than in his previous returns from the DL, when he started slowly.

"I hope he comes back fired up and ready to go,'' Washington said.

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Ownership of Los Angeles Dodgers a key issue as McCourt divorce trial begins

LOS ANGELES -- Who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers?

Munson: The Divorce And The Dodgers

Frank and Jamie McCourt are locked in a bitter divorce-court drama that starts Monday, and the ownership of the Dodgers is the pawn in their game, writes Lester Munson. Story

That's what attorneys for Frank and Jamie McCourt will argue Monday as their non-jury divorce trial begins.

A Superior Court judge must decide the validity of a postnuptial marital agreement that gives Frank McCourt sole ownership of the baseball team.

Jamie McCourt's lawyers say the former Dodgers CEO would never give up her stake in the team and they've suggested copies of the agreement were altered to give Frank McCourt sole control of the team, as well as Dodger Stadium and the surrounding land.

The McCourts married in 1979. Frank McCourt booted his wife from the front office after the playoffs last year, accusing her of having an affair.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Chicago Cubs interview former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs have begun their formal process of finding their next manager, according to a major league source.

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Former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge had a face-to-face interview with Cubs general manager Jim Hendry on Thursday in Cleveland, as Hendry searches for a replacement for retired manager Lou Piniella.

Wedge managed the Indians from 2003-09, winning the American League Manager of the Year Award in 2007, when he guided the Indians to the ALCS, only to lose to the Boston Red Sox after going up 3-1.

Wedge, 42, won over 500 games with the Indians, including a first-place finish in 2007 and finishing second in 2005 behind the world champion Chicago White Sox.

Wedge, who resides in Richfield, Ohio, was fired by Cleveland after the 2009 season. The Indians are paying Wedge through this season.

The former major league catcher, originally from Ft. Wayne, Ind., was an All-American at Wichita State and was on the 1989 Shockers team that won the College World Series.

At that time, Hendry was the head coach of league rival Creighton University. That's when Wedge first caught Hendry's attention.

Wedge played parts of four seasons in the majors after being drafted by the Red Sox in the third round of the 1989 amateur draft. Eight surgeries ended his career in 1997.

He began his managing career in 1998, and he won minor league manager of the year honors in 1999 with Single-A Kinston, and at Triple-A Buffalo in 2001.

Wedge would have to be considered a top candidate for the Cubs job. Others to get interviewed will include Ryne Sandberg; former Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez and Washington Nationals coach and former Cubs minor league manager Pat Listach.

Mike Quade, the Cubs interim manager, also will get strong consideration. Friends of New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi have stated he would have strong interest in the Cubs job if he left the Yankees after the season.

Hendry has put a timeline of early November on the hiring of his next manager. The Cubs want their new dugout boss to be in place before the organizational meetings in November.

Bruce Levine covers baseball for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.

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New York Mets' Jose Reyes leaves game vs. Florida Marlins with strained oblique

Reyes

NEW YORK -- A strained oblique forced Mets shortstop Jose Reyes to leave Thursday night's game versus the Florida Marlins in the second inning. The Mets described the injury as "mild," but said Reyes will not play again until he has no pain in the oblique."I hope it will not be that long," Reyes said after the Mets' 11-4 loss to the Marlins.After missing most of last season with hamstring problems and then being forced to sit out the majority of spring training because of a thyroid condition, Reyes has been healthy for most of the 2010 season. Thursday night was the 112th game that Reyes has played this season. When he plays No. 113 is an open question right now."As of right now, we see this as a day-to-day thing," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.Reyes was not scheduled to have any tests on Thursday night. Both he and Manuel said they will see how he feels when he wakes up Friday morning before figuring out the next step. Reyes had struggled with the oblique injury recently, but he was able to play through it.Reyes said he felt the strain during batting practice and then he was removed following a single in the second. Reyes did not want to leave the game.More From ESPNNewYork.com

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"It is kind of frustrating," Reyes said.Last year, Reyes played just 36 games. In an interview prior to Thursday's loss, Reyes said one of his main goals was to finish the season injury-free. He also said that he was unsatisfied with his .286 average, eight homers, 44 RBIs, 28 stolen bases and 73 runs scored. He had walked only 25 times entering Thursday."The numbers should be better," Reyes said.Reyes, 27, has a team option for next season. He said he hopes to return to the Mets, but he left the door open a crack."I want to be here," Reyes said. "This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues. This is the only team that I've played in the big leagues with my entire career so far. I don't want to go anywhere. At the same time, like I've said before, this is a business." Andrew Marchand covers baseball for ESPNNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter. More from ESPNNewYork.com

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White Sox's GM Kenny Williams wasn't thrilled with Oney Guillen's recent tweets.

CHICAGO -- White Sox general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen were left explaining things Wednesday after another round of critical Twitter messages from Guillen's son Oney.

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After a rough weekend when the White Sox had a game rained out and then played three extra-inning games in a 22-hour stretch Saturday and Sunday, Oney was critical of the White Sox's GM.

Chief among those criticisms, Williams was seen at a comedy club Saturday night in the Chicago area at the same time the White Sox were playing a doubleheader at Kansas City.

"Wow. Just saw the sox gm coming out of a comedy club in Schaumburg with a female friend. I guess he didn't c the sox first loss," Oney Guillen tweeted. "Now u know what I'm talking about. In a pennant race and not even watching the game. Laughing at [Carlos] mencia jokes. Don't blame him."

Williams called Oney Guillen's Twitter messages, under the account name "OneyRoberto," disrespectful, but that he has a thick skin. He added his relationship with Ozzie Guillen, though, was fine and they were laughing and joking behind closed doors Tuesday.

"I'm sick of my name being in certain Twitters," Williams said. "It's disappointing. But I've since learned, especially dealing with Ozzie, that whatever I hear or read or any of that stuff that comes from the periphery, go to him and talk first. ... Do you feel like this? Are these your thoughts?"

Ozzie Guillen said his son's Twitter messages aren't statements coming from Ozzie himself and that his son is a grown man who has freedom of speech like every other American citizen. He said his son's expressions are instead gut feelings from a White Sox fan. He added he has not found the need to reign in his son's commentary.

"People look at it a different way because he's my kid or people might think he talked to me about it," Ozzie Guillen said.

"I understand his point. As a fan I respect that. As [your] kid you wish he wouldn't say that but how many times did I say something and people wish I didn't say it?

"When you put Oney in the middle, Oney is a grown man and he is not part of this organization. Oney says whatever he wants. The thing is, coming from him it looks bad."

Oney Guillen left his job in the White Sox's scouting and video department during spring training when a controversy arose over Twitter messages critical of the organization.

Doug Padilla covers the White Sox for ESPNChicago.com

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New York Yankees scratch Nick Swisher with sore left knee Wednesday

TORONTO -- Nick Swisher was scratched from the New York Yankees lineup about a half-hour before the start of Wednesday night's Yankees-Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre.

Swisher, who had to leave Tuesday night's game in the middle of a seventh-inning at-bat after fouling a pitch off his left knee, was originally in Joe Girardi's starting lineup but was pulled after he was too sore and swollen to engage in batting practice and other pregame drills.

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"It's still a little sore, and with a built-in off-day tomorrow it's the smart thing to do," Swisher said through a Yankees spokesman. "With two full days of rest it gives me the opportunity to rest the leg."

In his place, Brett Gardner, originally given the night off, was plugged into the lineup in left field, and Austin Kearns, the left fielder in the original lineup, was shifted to right. Swisher's No. 2 spot in the batting order was given to center fielder Curtis Granderson, originally batting eighth with a left-hander, Brett Cecil, starting for Toronto.

Swisher left the ballpark Tuesday night with his knee heavily wrapped but vowing to play Wednesday night, but Girardi had acknowledged the possibility that his lineup, posted at 3:30 p.m., might change by game time.

"I told him, 'Swish, I'm putting you in there but I want to see you go through BP,'" Girardi said. "And if you can't go, I want you to tell me. He said he was sore, but sometimes when you get running around and you get some adrenaline going, you're OK. It's just easier for me to put a lineup out and change it later if necessary.''

Swisher fouled a Casey Janssen pitch off his knee with two out in the seventh inning of the Yankees' 11-5 win Tuesday night. After trying to remain in the game for two more pitches, Swisher was replaced by Brett Gardner, who inherited his 2-2 count. Two pitches later, Gardner took a called strike three, which mock-incensed Swisher, who was charged with the strikeout.

"I told him, for one time in your career you got a free swing, you got nothing to lose,'' Swisher said, "And you freaking take? How dare you?''

Wallace Matthews covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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Ozzie Guillen: Chicago White Sox easier to manage than Chicago Cubs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ozzie Guillen is sure to get some Chicago White Sox fans in an uproar again with his latest offering: Expectations to win make it harder to manage on the North Side than the South Side.

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Jerry Lai/US PresswireManager Ozzie Guillen says this year's White Sox team isn't getting the attention it deserves.

Guillen was talking about Lou Piniella's decision to make Sunday his last day with the Chicago Cubs when he was asked about the tougher side to manage. The context of the question was about how run down guys like Dusty Baker and Piniella looked at the end of their Cubs tenure.

"I think it's easy to manage this side because they don't expect us to win," Guillen said. "When you manage the other side ... I remember two years ago, we didn't even hit spring training and all of a sudden [the Cubs] are going to win the championship and they have [Kosuke] Fukudome on the front page. That's a lot of pressure.

"... The expectations on that side of town is higher, there's no question about it. I don't know if it's tougher or not because I never was on that side. But looking from far away, coming to the ballpark every day and how many years they've gone through [without winning a World Series], a lot of people talk about winning a championship, but it's a lot of losing years out there, a lot. That's frustrating. There's no doubt it's easier to come to this side of town and work. I think it's definitely tougher to work out there than to work here."

It isn't the only thing he has said over the past few days that has caused a stir. He also said there are more important things than winning a game, in reference to the fact that he was playing it safe with Edwin Jackson, who didn't pitch in Saturday's doubleheader. Jackson warmed up and threw seven pitches Friday before that game was postponed.

"Like I said [Saturday] before the game: I'd rather lose a game than lose Jackson," Guillen said. "And we won the game, so that's important."

Doug Padilla covers the White Sox for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.

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