American League notebook -- May 31, 2012
Baltimore: RF Nick Markakis, who injured his right wrist on a ninth-inning swing Tuesday, is set to undergo surgery this morning to remove a broken hamate bone. He is expected to be sidelined two to four weeks. "If you told me before that this is what they'd find out, I would have signed up for that in blood. It's not that bad," manager Buck Showalter said. ... CF Adam Jones should be fine after being hit by a pitch on his right wrist Wednesday, executive vice president Dan Duquette told MASNsports.com. Jones, who saw his 20-game hit streak end Wednesday when he went 0-for-2 with a walk and the hit-by-pitch, was icing the wrist Thursday.
Boston: 3B Will Middlebrooks has taken grounders at shortstop. If Middlebrooks were able to play short, Kevin Youkilis could move back to third base from first base, and Adrian Gonzalez could move back to first base from his now occasional duty in right field. Middlebrooks didn't start the series finale against Detroit. ... RH closer Alfredo Aceves pitched for the fourth consecutive day Wednesday and recorded a 15-pitch save against the Tigers. "You just wind him up. 'Are you OK?' 'I'm great,'" manager Bobby Valentine said.
Chicago: CF Alejandro De Aza is expected to be back in the lineup Friday after leaving Wednesday's game due to a right leg injury. He was hit in the leg by the ball as he was diving back into second base. De Aza has started all but two games in the leadoff spot this season. ... Pitching coach Don Cooper and manager Robin Ventura will not use Thursday's day off to switch the rotation around. LHP Chris Sale, fresh off season-high 115-pitch outing Monday, will pitch Sunday against Seattle.
Cleveland: C Lou Marson had the stitches removed from his lip Thursday, and he could be in the starting lineup Friday. Marson has missed the past three games after getting hit in the mouth by a pitch thrown by White Sox RHP Gavin Floyd on May 27. ... DH Travis Hafner underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, according to the Indians. The operation repaired a frayed meniscus. Hafner, who has been on the disabled list eight times in the past nine seasons, is expected to be out four to six weeks.
Detroit: Danny Worth got his second consecutive start at second base after the demotion of 2B/OF Ryan Raburn to the minors. "I think you're going to see more of Worth," manager Jim Leyland said. "I'm going to give him a shot, see what he can do." ... LF Andy Dirks was not in the starting lineup the past two games because of a sore left Achilles tendon. Dirks did pinch-hit Wednesday, singling to deep third, but he was replaced by a pinch runner as soon as he reached first base.
Kansas City: IF Yuniesky Betancourt, who has been on a rehab assignment with Class AA Northwest Arkansas (Springdale, Ark.) and Class AAA Omaha (Papillion, Neb.), could be activated this weekend. Betancourt has been out since May 2 because of a high right ankle sprain. ... 2B Chris Getz will step up his on-the-field activities this weekend in pregame drills at Kauffman Stadium. Getz is on the disabled list because of a bruised left rib cage, which he aggravated on a slide May 21 against the Yankees.
Los Angeles: Since being acquired in a trade with the Padres on May 3, RH reliever Ernesto Frieri has been unhittable, striking out 25 and allowing no hits or runs during his first 12 innings as an Angel. According to STATS LLC, Frieri is the first pitcher since at least 1921 to have 25 or more strikeouts and no earned runs allowed in his first 12 innings with a new team. ... RHP Dan Haren is expected to move up and take RHP Jered Weaver's spot in the rotation Sunday. Because the Angels were off Thursday, Haren would be pitching on normal rest. RHP Garrett Richards, Weaver's roster replacement, likely will start Monday or Tuesday against Seattle.
Minnesota: The Twins had gone 11 months without a sweep of three or more games before they won three in a row against the A's this week. Minnesota swept three games against San Diego from June 17-19, 2011. The Twins' only previous sweep this season was a two-game set at Detroit, May 16-17. ... LHP Francisco Liriano had an 8.47 ERA this season before Wednesday, when he returned to the rotation and threw six shutout innings in a win over Oakland. "When he's on, he's an ace -- 100 percent. He's got the great fastball, and we know about that slider and his changeup," C Drew Butera said.
New York: C Russell Martin said plate umpire Laz Diaz punished him in an unusual way for arguing balls and strikes during Wednesday's game against the Angels. Martin maintained that Diaz wouldn't let him throw new baseballs back to his pitchers following foul balls after he exchanged words with Diaz early in the game. A spokesman said Major League Baseball was investigating. ... RH reliever David Robertson (strained left side muscle) is scheduled to throw off a mound Saturday for the first time since landing on the disabled list May 14. He is likely out until mid-June.
Oakland: Slumping RHP Tyson Ross was optioned to Class AAA Sacramento (West Sacramento, Calif.). He was 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in his first two starts but went 1-6 with a 7.34 ERA over his last seven starts. The move clears a roster spot for the expected return of OF Yoenis Cespedes (left hand) from the disabled list Friday. ... RH reliever Andrew Carignan threw a 1-2-3 inning and struck out two Wednesday at Minnesota. It was the rookie's first 1-2-3 inning of the season in eight appearances. Carignan lowered his ERA to 6.14.
Seattle: RHP Steve Delabar was optioned to Class AAA Tacoma (Wash.) after going 1-1 with a 5.18 ERA in a team-high 25 appearances. RH reliever Stephen Pryor will be promoted from Tacoma, Pryor's agent, Mike McCann, wrote on Twitter, according to the Seattle Times. Pryor, 22, was 1-0 with nine saves and a 0.64 ERA in a combined 20 appearances for Class AA Jackson (Tenn.) and Tacoma. ... The 21 runs the Mariners scored Wednesday at Texas were one shy of the franchise record set April 29, 1999, against Detroit. Before the game, manager Eric Wedge had said, "When these guys click, it'll be a lot of fun."
Tampa Bay: LHP David Price makes the 100th start of his career Friday when he faces the Orioles. Price is 47-29 with a 3.31 ERA in 104 career appearances, including 99 starts. ... RH reliever Joel Peralta has been perfect in his past three outings, each lasting one inning. He has a 2.19 ERA at Tropicana Field and a 7.20 ERA on the road. ... RH reliever Burke Badenhop had a 1.42 ERA in 14 appearances in May. He had a 7.20 ERA in 10 appearances in April.
Texas: LHP Derek Holland, after a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning, retired just two more hitters while allowing Seattle eight runs in a 21-8 loss Wednesday. Since going nine days between starts, Holland has allowed 15 runs in 14 innings over his past three starts, allowing six homers in that span. ... SS Elvis Andrus got Wednesday off after manager Ron Washington said he saw some signs of "mental fatigue." Andrus had errors in consecutive games Monday and Tuesday after committing just four through his first 47 games.
Toronto: 1B Adam Lind, who was optioned to Class AAA Las Vegas on May 17, was outrighted to the same team, taking him off the 40-man roster. The move clears a spot for RH reliever Robert Coello, who will be promoted up for bullpen insurance. Coello, 27, was 3-1 with a 3.22 ERA in 17 games (two starts) for Las Vegas this season. Lind had hit .386 with three homers and 11 RBI in his first 11 games in Class AAA since his demotion. ... LHP Aaron Laffey, who was called up Monday but didn't get into a game, was optioned to Las Vegas, where he'll return to the rotation. Laffey was 2-5 with a 4.88 ERA in nine Class AAA starts before his promotion.
