MLB Roundup: Fuentes in as Oakland closer
Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin named left-hander Brian Fuentes as his closer Saturday.
"We're closing with Fuentes for now," Melvin said after Saturday's game. "I didn't announce that, but that's the position that we're in right now. We're giving (Grant Balfour) a little bit of a break, and we're going to close with Fuentes for the foreseeable future."
Balfour was named the closer entering the season. He has converted seven of his nine save chances, but has a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings.
Fuentes, who saved Saturday's 3-1 victory over Detroit, has two saves in 14 innings this season with a 3.86 ERA. Fuentes, who has previously been the closer for Colorado and the Los Angeles Angles, earned this 200th career save May 2.
"That's what I want to do," Fuentes said. "So not doing that was tough. But at the same time I understand the dynamics of the bullpen. You're going to go with the guy who's best suited for the job at the time, and at the beginning of the season, that wasn't me. I understand."
-- Los Angeles Dodgers star Matt Kemp was removed from Sunday's game after the third inning because of hamstring trouble.
Kemp has played in 399 consecutive games, but the hamstring continues to give him problems. After setting the Dodgers franchise record for home runs in April, Kemp is yet to hit one in May.
Kemp is hitting .359 with 12 homers and 28 RBIs.
--The San Francisco Giants made four roster moves Sunday, adding two players and sending out two.
The Giants activated left-hander Jeremy Affeldt from the 15-day disabled list after sustaining a right-knee injury. Left-hander Travis Blackley opened up a spot by being designated for assignment.
Also, third baseman Conor Gillaspie has been optioned to Class AAA Fresno while the infielder Charlie Culberson was called up from Fresno.
Culberson was batting .284 with five homers and 24 RBIs in 36 minor-league games this season. Gillaspie was 3 for 20 in six major-league games.
Affeldt had a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings over 10 games before the injury. Blackley had a 9.00 ERA in five innings over 11 games.
-- The New York Yankees have called up veteran right-handed pitcher Andy Pettitte from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for his first start of the season Sunday against the Seattle Mariners.
Pettitte came out of retirement this season by signing a minor-league contract. He has a career record of 240-138 and a 3.88 ERA in 16 seasons with the Yankees and the Houston Astros.
The team announced right-hander Cody Eppley was optioned to the minor leagues to make room for Pettitte. Eppley had an 0-0 record and 4.76 ERA. Also, the team said pitcher David Phelps would be moved out of the starting rotation.
-- The Washington Nationals have placed catcher Wilson Ramos on the 15-day disabled list after he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Saturday night.
Ramos is expected to have surgery, Marfa Mata, a spokesperson for Ramos, told the Washington Times on Sunday.
Ramos sustained the injury in the seventh inning of Saturday night's game in Cincinnati after turning to field a passed ball. It appeared that Ramos' knee buckled.
"I don't know how bad it is," said Nationals manager Davey Johnson after the game. "But I have a bad feeling he tore something in there and his down time will be a while. We'll just keep our fingers crossed, but right now it's not good at all."
Ramos was hitting .265 with three home runs and 10 RBIs this season. During the offseason, he was abducted for two days in a much publicized kidnapping in his home of Venezuela.
Jesus Flores will take over as starting catcher and the team has called up catcher Sandy Leon from Class AA Harrisburg. Leon was batting .319 with one home run and 12 RBIs in 27 minor-league games this season.
