American League team-by-team notebook -- Thursday, July 26, 2012

Baltimore: SS J.J. Hardy sustained bruised ribs when he was hit by a pitch, but he remained in the game. X-rays were negative, Hardy said. ... LH reliever Dana Eveland was called up to give the Orioles an extra bullpen arm after five relievers appeared in Wednesday's game. UT Steve Tolleson, who had hit .185 with two homers and six RBI in 24 games with Baltimore, was optioned to Class AAA Norfolk (Va.). The move left the team with a three-man bench.

Boston: RH reliever Andrew Bailey (right thumb surgery) threw 23 pitches of live batting practice Wednesday. He is expected to throw live batting practice again Saturday before likely beginning a rehab assignment. The Red Sox are hoping Bailey will be ready to join the major league bullpen by mid-August. ... RH reliever Scott Atchison (right forearm tightness) is scheduled to pitch an inning Friday for Class AAA Pawtucket (R.I.). Atchison is hopeful he will need to make only one minor league appearance before rejoining the Red Sox.

Chicago: 3B Kevin Youkilis, who rolled his left ankle Wednesday while rounding first base on a single, expects to be back in action Friday. "When I got the hit, I was watching the ball and kind of feeling where the bag was and just kind of rolled over the bag. It wasn't smart on my part," he said. ... LF Dayan Viciedo moved from third base to the outfield last year, but he didn't commit his first outfield error until Wednesday. It was his 104th game as an outfielder.

Cleveland: RH reliever Cody Allen, who pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his first three appearances, was a 23rd-round pick in the 2011 draft. According to STATS, LCC, Allen is the sixth player in the history of the June draft to be selected in the 20th round or later and make his major league debut no later than the following season. ... RHP Derek Lowe, 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his first eight starts, is 2-8 with a 7.59 ERA in his past 12 starts. However, manager Manny Acta isn't about to blame the slump on the 39-year-old veteran's age. "Nobody brought up his age the first two months of the season when he was carrying us," Acta said.

Detroit: LHP Drew Smyly threw a 50-pitch bullpen session and pronounced himself ready for a rehab assignment. However, the team will wait to see how he responds Friday before sending him to Class AAA Toledo (Ohio). Smyly has been out since July 7 due to a strained right side muscle. ... OF Andy Dirks was scratched from Toledo's lineup Wednesday with renewed soreness in his right Achilles tendon. However, the setback was minor, and he renewed his rehab assignment Thursday.

Kansas City: RHP Luke Hochevar has been either very good or very bad this season. In six wins and five no-decisions, he has a 1.92 ERA. In nine losses, he has a 10.76 ERA. ... The Royals dropped to 12-22 in day games after losing 11-6 Wednesday afternoon at Anaheim. They have not won a day game since a June 27 victory that completed a sweep of the Rays.

Los Angeles: 1B Albert Pujols, who was hit in the right elbow by a pitch that he swung at and missed Tuesday, is expected back in the lineup Friday for the series opener against the Rays. He did not play Wednesday, but X-rays were negative. ... OF Vernon Wells (right thumb surgery) was batting .348 (8-for-23) with two homers through six games on his rehab assignment with Class AAA Salt Lake (Salt Lake City). He could rejoin the Angels as soon as Friday.

Minnesota: RH reliever Anthony Swarzak was placed on the disabled list due to a mild right rotator cuff strain. The Twins purchased the contract of RH reliever Luis Perdomo from Class AAA Rochester (N.Y.), where he was 2-1 with seven saves and a 0.92 ERA in 11 appearances. Perdomo, 28, appeared in a combined 36 games for San Diego in 2009-10, going 1-0 with a 4.87 ERA. ... RHP Carl Pavano was transferred to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Perdomo. Pavano is rehabbing a right shoulder strain.

New York: RF Nick Swisher worked out at Yankee Stadium, taking batting practice and running the bases without any problems after missing the past five games with a strained left hip flexor. Swisher was hoping to return to the lineup Friday, but GM Brian Cashman said Swisher likely would not play until Saturday at the earliest. ... RH reliever Joba Chamberlain (right ankle surgery) will throw a side session for the coaching staff Friday at Yankee Stadium, then make his seventh rehab appearance Sunday for Class AA Trenton (N.J.). Chamberlain pitched on consecutive days Tuesday and Wednesday, the first time he has done so during his rehab assignment.

Oakland: RHP Brandon McCarthy threw 42 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday in Arizona, getting up and down three times, according to manager Bob Melvin, who said McCarthy came out of the session well. McCarthy, who has been on the disabled list for a month due to shoulder soreness, is expected to throw a bullpen session Saturday. .. LHP Tommy Milone lost Thursday at Toronto, continuing a season-long trend. He is 4-6 with a 5.77 ERA on the road, 5-1 with an 0.91 ERA at home.

Seattle: LH reliever Charlie Furbush has started to play catch, having been cleared to do so after going on the disabled list July 18 with a left triceps strain. For the moment, he's just throwing fastballs. ... New tests have cleared OF Franklin Gutierrez to resume physical workouts. Manager Eric Wedge said Wednesday that Gutierrez, out since June 29 due to concussion issues, had not had any headaches for several days.

Tampa Bay: 3B Evan Longoria began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Durham (N.C.), where he will serve as a designated hitter. If he does well over three or four minor league games, he could join the Rays next week to take over as their designated hitter until his partially torn left hamstring is fully healed. ... OF Sam Fuld, who came off the disabled list Tuesday, went 5-for-9 while starting all three games in Baltimore. "The bonus is that my wrist feels good," he said. He missed the first half of the season after having right wrist surgery this spring.

Texas: RF Nelson Cruz broke an 0-for-11 stretch with an eighth-inning homer Wednesday. Both of Cruz's hits in the past four games have been homers. He is hitting .184 (7-for-38) since the All-Star break. ... C Mike Napoli did not play Wednesday after experiencing a bit of soreness in his right quadriceps running out a ball Tuesday. The quad has been an annoyance on several occasions for Napoli this season, and manager Ron Washington opted to sit him rather than have him serve as the designated hitter.

Toronto: Jeff Mathis will get most of the starts at catcher with J.P. Arencibia expected to miss six weeks due to a non-displaced fracture in his right hand. Arencibia was hurt when his hand was hit by a foul tip from Brandon Inge in the second inning Wednesday. ... LHP Ricky Romero is 0-6 with a 10.48 ERA in his past six starts, but manager John Farrell gave no indication that Romero might be removed from the rotation for a start to work things out. Romero allowed eight runs Wednesday over 1 1/3 innings, the shortest start of his career, in a 16-0 loss to Oakland.