American League team-by-team notes -- Monday, July 30, 2012
Baltimore: DH Jim Thome left the club to return to Baltimore, where he is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam Tuesday on his sore neck. Thome didn't play Saturday and Sunday, and an attempt to hit in batting practice Monday was unsuccessful. ... 2B Robert Andino (strained left shoulder) went 1-for-5 Sunday in his first rehab game for Class AAA Norfolk (Va.). Andino, who is eligible to be activated Tuesday, could return in the next few days, manager Buck Showalter said.
Boston: DH David Ortiz (strained right Achilles tendon) will be eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday, but he won't be ready then. He was rehabbing in a pool rather than on the field Monday, according to manager Bobby Valentine. ... IF Pedro Ciriaco drove in the winning run for the Red Sox in their final at-bat Saturday and Sunday against the Yankees. "He's been huge for us," 2B Dustin Pedroia said. Valentine added, "I think he's going to be a contributing factor all year long."
Chicago: LHP Hector Santiago was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte (Fort Mill, S.C.) to clear a roster spot for newly acquired LHP Francisco Liriano. Santiago, who was 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA in 32 appearances, will be stretched out for possible work as a starter. ... RHP Jake Peavy sees the benefit of the White Sox using a six-man rotation, at least temporarily. "Late in the season, you can use a little rest," Peavy said. "We did this last year and pitched pretty well."
Cleveland: RHP Roberto Hernandez will move up to Class AAA Columbus (Ohio) on Tuesday for his second minor league start. Hernandez is serving a three-week suspension from Major League Baseball for identity fraud, a punishment that ends Aug. 11. He allowed three runs (one earned) in five innings Thursday for low-A Lake County (Eastlake, Ohio). ... RHP Ubaldo Jimenez went 1-4 with a 6.09 ERA in six July starts. In his past four starts, he is 0-3 with a 7.97 ERA.
Detroit: LHP Drew Smyly will start Tuesday for Class AAA Toledo (Ohio), where he was optioned when the Tigers added RHP Anibal Sanchez. Smyly had been on the disabled list since July 7 due to a strained right side muscle. He went 4-3 with a 4.42 ERA in 15 starts after winning the job as the fifth starter coming out of spring training. ... Toledo LHP Andy Oliver, one of Detroit's top pitching prospects, has been shifted from starting to relief for the duration of the season. He was 4-9 with a 5.18 ERA in 18 starts, and he recently returned from the disabled list after dealing with a tired shoulder.
Kansas City: If clubs were interested in RH closer Jonathan Broxton ahead of the trade deadline, they had little opportunity to scout him. In the past 10 days through the weekend, he had pitched once, getting a save July 24 against the Angels. ... Manager Ned Yost on RF Jeff Francoeur, who hit .091 (2-for-22) on last week's trip to Seattle and Anaheim: "He looks lost right now. We're going to try to find a way to get him back being productive."
Los Angeles: OF Mike Trout was back in the lineup after missing one game with a bruised left knee. Trout entered Monday with multi-hit games in seven of the Angels' nine games against the Rangers this year. Only one player in the majors had more multi-hit games against one opponent this season: White Sox OF Alejandro De Aza has eight vs. the Indians. ... OF Mark Trumbo was out of the starting lineup. He was 8-for-30 (.267) in his previous eight games, with all of the hits singles, costing him the AL slugging percentage lead.
Minnesota: 1B Justin Morneau's two-run home run in Sunday's 5-1 victory over Cleveland was the 198th of his career. Only six players have hit 200 homers in a Twins uniform -- Harmon Killebrew (475), Kent Hrbek (293), Tony Oliva (220), Bob Allison (211), Kirby Puckett (207) and Gary Gaetti (201). ... The Twins batted .340 during their three-game sweep of Cleveland last weekend. They had five doubles, a triple and four home runs while scoring 28 runs.
New York: LHP Andy Pettitte (fractured left ankle) should remain on schedule for an early-September return, manager Joe Girardi said a day after Pettitte told the New York Post he had tried to do too much in his rehab in Seattle. "As far as a setback, I wouldn't call it a setback," Girardi said. "I think it's part of the healing process." ... RH reliever Joba Chamberlain will pitch Tuesday for Class AA Trenton (N.J.) in what might be his final rehab appearance. Chamberlain, recovering from Tommy John surgery and a right ankle operation, has allowed three runs (one earned) in 9 1/3 minor league innings.
Oakland: C Derek Norris was optioned to Class AAA Sacramento (West Sacramento, Calif.) in order to make room for C George Kottaras, who was acquired Sunday from Milwaukee. Norris, who was obtained in the Gio Gonzalez deal with the Nationals in December, hit .195 with three homers and 11 RBI in 21 games. ... OF Coco Crisp remained out of the lineup due to left hamstring tightness. Yoenis Cespedes returned to center field, his natural position, with Crisp missing the past two games. Crisp is considered day-to-day.
Seattle: X-rays were negative on RHP Felix Hernandez's left wrist, and he said he would be ready for his Saturday start at Yankee Stadium. Hernandez was struck by a fourth-inning comebacker Sunday, and he stayed in the game through the seventh, but he later went for X-rays when pain persisted. ... Manager Eric Wedge sees an improvement in OF Trayvon Robinson, who was called up last week. "His swing is a little bit more consistent, a little shorter to the baseball," Wedge said. "It looks like he's a little bit more in control up there."
Tampa Bay: RHP Jeremy Hellickson was so sick Sunday that he threw up once on the mound and several times in the dugout. However, he managed to pitch six innings in the Rays' 2-0 win over the Angels. "My stuff felt good, and my arm felt good," he said. "That's really all I needed to feel good." ... With two saves last weekend, RH closer Fernando Rodney became the fourth Rays reliever to have a 30-save season. The others: Roberto Hernandez (1999-2000), Danys Baez (2004-05) and Rafael Soriano (2010).
Texas: 1B Mitch Moreland, who had been out since June 20 due to a strained left hamstring, was activated from the disabled list. He went 5-for-19 (.263) in five minor league rehab games. The Rangers cleared a roster spot by optioning OF Leonys Martin to Class AAA Round Rock (Texas). Since June 28, Martin had one hit in 18 at-bats. ... RH reliever Mark Lowe (right ribcage muscle strain) was scheduled to make consecutive rehab appearances for Class AA Frisco (Texas) on Monday and Tuesday. If all goes well, he could be activated from the DL before the end of the week.
Toronto: DH/1B Adam Lind, who hadn't played since Wednesday due to a mid-back strain, was placed on the disabled list. Lind had hit .288 (23-for-80) with five homers and 16 RBI in 24 games since returning from the minors in late June. 1B David Cooper was called up from Class AAA Las Vegas, where he was 21-for-42 (.500) with two homers and nine RBI in his past 10 games. ... RHP Brandon Morrow (strained left side muscle) pitched three scoreless innings Sunday in his first rehab start for high-A Dunedin (Fla.). He will make one more start for Dunedin and then two for Class AA (Manchester) New Hampshire before the next move is considered.
