Huston Street Reacting Well to Drug Regimen

An intense regimen of anti-inflammatory drugs to ease Athletics closer Huston Street's ulnareuritis evidently is agreeable to the young hurler, as he reports little or no intestinal discomfort as a side effect. The treatment will greatly accelerate his recovery.

That's the good news. The bad news is that even though Street has begun some light throwing, he'll be lucky to return to unrestricted action by the middle of July, and may even need to rehabilitate into early August before being completely ready to retake the mound.

Until such time as Street returns, it remains uncertain how quickly he will round out to form.

Andy Phillips Poised for Comeback to Yankees

Former Yankees first base reserve Andy Phillips has been sharpening his defensive skills and batting eye while playing second base for Triple A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, so don't be surprised to see him again sooner rather than later.

Yankees manager Joe Torre has taken a shining to utility man Miguel Cairo at first base while incumbents Jason Giambi and Doug Meintkiewicz are sidelined with injuries, but it's a matter of time before Phillips' bat powers him back to New York. It doesn't hurt that in addition to first and second, Phillips can even play third.

Phillips -- a favorite of general manager Brian Cashman after hitting .321 with 30 homers in minor league stops in 2004 -- is hitting .306 with 10 homers in Scranton, solid enough to make Torre forget Phillips' slow start last spring, when he missed critical time while tending to his mother following her injuries in a car accident.

Reserve Josh Phelps, whose batting average has fallen to the .270 range, needs to keep hitting to keep from being replaced. Like Phillips, both Cairo and Phelps are right-handed hitters and both of them are struggling to hit right-handed pitching.

Former Manager Helps Daisuke Matsuzaka Reload

Whatever his former manager told Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka before his last appearance, it evidently worked, with Matsuzaka having thrown a gem and predicting that his previous ups and downs are now behind him.

Matsuzaka now sets his sights on San Diego, where a huge park, no designated hitter and a somewhat suspect opposition offense sets the stage for another nice outing, something perhaps along the lines of the mere three hits he surrendered in seven shutout innings in Boston's 1-0 win over Barry Bonds and the Giants last week.

Matsuzaka's performance -- which included eight strikeouts -- reduced his ERA to 4.18 as he notched his eighth win, all under the watchful eye of former manager Osamu Higashio. Higashio, an ex-pitcher, sat in the stands behind homeplate after giving Matsuzaka a tip or two on how to return to the familiar form that had formerly made him perhaps Japan's best all-around starter.

Higashio -- Matsuzaka's skipper with the Seibu Lions from 1999-2001 -- knows his former player better than anyone else in baseball, here or abroad. Matsuzaka is too discreet to admit it, but Higashio's words of wisdom helped him cast off some newly acquired bad habits picked up from the Red Sox coaching staff. Check it out.

Larry Bigbee May Be Forced to Turn Japanese

With the Astros, Cardinals, Twins and Athletics among teams that may be in the market for outfield help, one-time leading prospect Larry Bigbee has little to lose in opting out of his contract with the Triple A Las Vegas 51s in the Dodgers organization, especially with James Loney, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Delwyn Young and others outranking him.

Yet so far Bigbee seems to be regarded as little more than chopped liver, quite a comedown indeed for the 6-foot-four, 210 pound lefty slugger who was taken with the 21st overall pick in the 1999 draft.

Bigbee, however, is hardly chopped liver. It's his career that's chopped liver, as he has been unable to remain healthy long enough to put together a productive string of appearances and make it plain that he can play with the big boys. Odd, considering that as recently as 2004 the former Ball State standout put together a .280, 15-homer, 68 RBI season in just 478 at-bats for the Orioles.

Dodgers organization sources told http://www.mlbnewsonline.com/ that unless Bigbee catches on soon with a major league team, he'll sign a contract in Japan and be lost to anyone looking for help for this year's pennant run.

Is anybody paying attention? Before Bigbee departed for free agent land he was a top hitter in the offensive-minded Pacific Coast League, hitting .349 with a .532 slugging percentage.

Matt Garza Expendable in Mark Teixeira Dealings

It's be a bit harsh to label hard-throwing Twins prospect Matt Garza uncoachable, but clearly his resistence to developing off-speed offerings has cost him not only a promotion to The Bigs but perhaps some friends in the Minnesota organization.

Garza -- who throws in the mid-90s -- has pitched reasonably well for the Triple A Rochester Red Wings, but has had moderate control problems, blaming them on the coaching staff' pestering him to improve his change-up and other off-speed pitches.

The 23-year-old Garza prefers to do things his way, an attitude that would make him a very expendable but still valuable in any potential dealings for a Twins upgrade at third base.

In one of the Twins versions of the myriad scenarios for the trade of slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira by the Texas Rangers, Teixeira is envisioned going to the Boston Red Sox, allowing Kevin Youkilis to move to third base, Mike Lowell and cash to be shipped to the Twins and a Garza and other top Twins prospects to go to Texas.

This is a tremendous upgrade at the corners for the Red Sox, while helping the team to get younger and acquire some value for Lowell in his last year of a $9 million contract. At the same time the Twins receive a major third base rental in the team's ongoing charge for a playoff spot.

On the surface the free-falling Rangers would appear to have the most to lose in the deal, as the team would kiss off "Big Tex," the guy they signed for a $10 million bonus and the one player who more than any other embodies the face and future of the franchise.

But then again, this is the same team that was foolish enough to trade away starting pitcher Chris Young and upcoming star first basemen Adrian Gonzalez and Travis Hafner -- just to name a few -- and now has virtually nothing to show for it.

Tigers Mike Maroth Making Room for Kenny Rogers

With injured starter Kenny Rogers ready to return to action, look for the Tigers to trade Mike Maroth to open a spot in the rotation.

Maroth will be traded for bullpen help, effectively easing the loss sustained by injuries to young fireballer Joel Zumaya, who is out for the season, according to Detroit News baseball beat reporter Rob Parker.

Maroth likely will be gone by the end of the week, Parker said Monday during a broadcast interview with XM Radio's Charlie Steiner.

Rogers, 17-8 last year with a 3.84 ERA, has been out since the beginning of the season with nerve bypass surgery. Rogers has been reported by multiple sources to be at or near 100 percent, and eager to return to the mound.

Rookie starter Andrew Miller, at least for the time being, will continue to see work while rotation cog Nate Robertson recuperates from a tired arm.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Crowding Out Teammates

Hot-hitting rookie catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia took yet another start away from Brian McCann Wednesday, as McCann was reported to have sustained a sore leg while baserunning the night before. Yeah, and McCann had a hangnail and a tummyache, too.

Look for manager Bobby Cox to continue to find excuses to put Saltalamacchia, his cannon arm and big bat into game, especially if he continues to hit.

Too bad Saltalamacchia doesn't play third base, where he could start in place of injured Chipper Jones, who is expected to continue having trouble swinging a bat through most of the remainder of this month.

Why should Cox start Saltalamacchia at third base anyway, when he could be used to replace first baseman Scott Thorman, who is having difficulty keeping his batting average above .200?

Saltalamacchia will continue to take grounders at first base and soon will become more and more a regular player at that position.

Blue Jays Resisting Pressure to Trade Troy Glaus

Even with the team's most recent loss -- first baseman Lyle Overbay out six weeks with a hand injury -- the Blue Jays front office remains committed to compete for a playoff spot as long as Toronto remains at or near second place with a legitimate shot at a wild card berth.

Though the Blue Jays are more than 10 games back, look for management to resist mounting pressure to trade slugging third baseman Troy Glaus, at least for now.

With Overbay out and Glaus nursing a hamstring problem, an ideal opportunity for advancement has been provided for 6-foot-five, 240-pound slugging first base prospect Chip Cannon. Unfortunately, Cannon has been mired in Manchester with the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, where he is hitting a mere .217.

Though Cannon has eight homers in 180 at-bats, his average has been held down by his propensity to strike out. Cannon batted seven times in double header on Sunday, and struck out seven times. Though some had seen him as being ready to compete for a big-league slot last year, clearly now he cannot even make the leap to Triple A Syracuse.

Mike Sweeney Hears Footsteps of Craig Brazell

Fortunately for veteran Royals first baseman Mike Sweeney, prospect Craig Brazell has cooled down a tad, going only 1 for his last 14 at Triple A Omaha to drop his batting average to a mere .341.

Still, with Sweeney hitting only .247 for the season and in a 4-25 slump -- and with the Royals having scored just two runs per game while losing the last six -- there may soon be one more former superstar among the missing in Kansas City.

Not only has Sweeney's bat gone cold, he is on a pace by the end of this season to miss more than 300 games due to injury since 2002, and patience is wearing thin. Don't be surprised if at long last manager Buddy Bell finds a spot for the 33-year-old slugger on the bench, especially after Brazell's big splash last week.

Incredibly, Brazell's recent 15-game hitting streak included two homers last Friday, eight in his previous five games, 12 in 12 games, and 13 in 14 games. And ironically, the 27-year-old former Mets farmhand did it against the Zephyrs, the Mets Triple A club in New Orleans.

Though Brazell has defensive limitations, he would pass muster as Sweeney's replacement because the defensively brilliant Sweeney is so brittle that he is being used primarily as a designated hitter.

White Sox Signing of Craig Wilson of Little Help

The White Sox signing of first baseman-outfielder Craig Wilson to a minor league contract will likely be of little help to the team.

Braves manager Bobby Cox gave Wilson his walking papers after using him as little more than a spot starter against lefties and a pinch hitter, as Wilson's propensity to strike out, his sluggishness in the outfield and poor footwork around the first base bag precluded him from regular play. Wilson hit just .172 in 58 at-bats for the Braves.

Wilson, 30, has been effective from time to time against left-handed pitching during his six-year major league career, but the fact that he was passed over this year by the Angels and other teams needing help at first base or designated hitter betrays his reputation as a defensive liability. When given an opportunity to prove himself in New York last year he hit just .212 in 40 games. No wonder the Yankees didn't want him back.

Wilson's career year was 2004, when he hit .264 with 29 homers in 561 at-bats for the Pirates, yet the Bucs benched him the following year.

Wilson now assumes new duty as a deep White Sox reserve while playing for Triple A Charlotte. Likely as not, and barring a rash of injuries at the major league level, this will be his assignment at least until the September roster expansion or beyond, and may turn out to be his role for the remainder of his professional career.

D'backs in No Hurry to Bring Back Chad Tracy

A week ago Diamondbacks first baseman Conor Jackson might have been targeted for the bench to make room for up-and-coming prospect Mark Reynolds' and his .435 batting average. But though Jackson is hitting only .217, he may have saved himself by going 14 for his last 31 at-bats.

Look for manager Bob Melvin to take his time bringing back injured third baseman Chad Tracy, allowing Tracy to continue to recuperate at least into next week while Reynolds holds down the hot corner. That gives Melvin another seven days or so to figure out how to find a permanent spot for Reynolds.

Melvin has already promised to stick with promising rookie Carlos Quentin, who is off to a slow start after coming back from injury. Melvin's patience is starting to pay off as Quentin is 6 for his last 14 with a homer. Still, Quentin -- hitting just .221 on the season -- will remain under the microscope, as will shortstop Stephen Drew, hitting .238; and outfielder Scott Hairston, hitting .228.

Anybody could lose time should Melvin decide to turn Reynolds into some sort of super reserve.

Few players can consider themselves safe as long as Reynolds keeps hitting, as Reynolds has experience not only at third base but shortstop, second, first and the outfield, having acquitted himself well everywhere but catcher.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Reynolds, having hit a combined 31 homers in stops at Double A Tennessee and Single A Lancaster last year, has been likened to Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent. Reynolds has 62 homers since coming up with Single A South Bend three years ago.

Reynolds, 23, was initially so highly regarded that he might have been among the higher draftees in 2004, but he fell to the Diamondbacks in the 16th round due to a debilitating wrist injury that now seems like something from a previous life.

Josh Hamilton's Lengthy Absence Raises Red Flag

He has come back from homelessness, the demons of crack cocaine, alcohol and virtually any street drug one can name. He has tried to commit suicide at least four times and had been out of baseball for five years. And now, after he miraculously appears out of nowhere to become player of the month in April, we are to believe that the Reds' Josh Hamilton has been waylaid by a simple tummy ache.

On injured reserve retroactively since May 19, Hamilton continues to miss time from what the team has described as gastroenteritis, a very big word for simple diarrhea exacerbated by intermittent vomiting. Even with attendant dehydration, a young, healthy professional athlete in a controlled environment should be sidelined for not a minute more than two or three days. Tops.

Unless there is more to the story.

It would be presumptuous to even speculate about recurring health repercussions lingering after the long, long nightmare he has lived through his 20s. But Hamilton's sudden and relatively lengthy trip to the disabled list has run up a red flag.

If Hamilton needs an enzyme -- for instance -- to overcome lactose intolerance, fluids will build in his colon and his illness will continue until brought under control. The number of other ramifications are myriad.

Hopefully the comeback story of the year will pick up where it left off as Hamilton will begin a rehabilitative assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Louisville. And for his sake, Hamilton's peculiarly long absence can be attributed to the team's need to create a roster spot to showcase third baseman Edwin Encarnacion for a trade -- or some such arcane maneuver front offices have been known to clandestinely manipulate. It seems as though details are being withheld.

But until Hamilton once again begins patrolling center field for the Reds and hitting for average and power, be afraid. Be very afraid.

Kevin Slowey Likely to Start for Twins on Friday

The Rochester Red Wings have withheld the identity of Tuesday's starting pitcher in a Triple A matchup against Richmond, adding to speculation that prospect Kevin Slowey will miss his turn so that he can be called to Minneapolis to replace struggling veteran Ramon Ortiz on Friday.

Ortiz was bombed again Saturday, surrendering six runs on 10 hits over six innings in a 9-8 loss to Toronto, giving him an ERA of nearly 11.00 over his last five starts. The outing was largely seen as his one last chance before he is likely released or sent to the bullpen.

The 23-year-old Slowey, meanwhile, has been nothing short of spectacular, leading the International League with a 6-2 record and 1.54 ERA in nine starts, three of which were complete games. Slowey has struck out nearly a batter per inning. while demonstrating supurb control with a 0.81 whip. He has been likened to former Twins ace Brad Radke, with a highly accurate, low-90s fastball with lots of action plus dependable off-speed pitches.

The Twins next rotation opening had initially been expected to go to Slowey's rival, fellow 23-year-old Matt Garza, who compiled a 3-6 record with a 5.76 ERA in a late callup last year. But despite Garza's 1.35 ERA during spring training, he allowed what the staff regarded as too many baserunners.

Garza -- the Twins 2005 No. 1 pick -- has been criticized as a one-pitch wonder, heavily relying on his 97-mph fastball without being able to throw off-speed pitches for strikes. Garza has pitched well at Rochester, striking out a batter per inning with a 3.49 ERA and 2-4 record. But he has handed out 18 free passes in 49 innings while chaffing under directives to develop his changeup.

Elijah Dukes Dodges a Bullet; Pray His Wife Does

Though he sent his wife an electronic picture of a pistol and threatened to kill her and their two children, outfielder Elijah Dukes will keep the devil in Devil Rays by being restored to the lineup at the expense of infielder Jorge Cantu.

Though the team will be forced to make a roster move Monday to make room for the return of third baseman Akinora Iwamura from the disabled list, preliminary indications are that Cantu will take the fall. Expect Cantu to be sent down to Triple A Durham while Dukes will continue to play despite his most recent in a lengthy list of transgressions including drug infractions and various acts of hostility with violent overtones.

Confronted by reporters after wife NiShea Gilbert swore out a protection order against him, Dukes declined to offer an apology, regrets or sorrows over the incident. To the contrary, he was described as upbeat and jovial, and hit his ninth homerun in his first game back after temporarily being benched. Though he has a batting average only Dave Kingman could admire, Dukes is on pace to hit 40 homers for the season.

Fortunately for Dukes, he plays for the Devil Rays, a team with a long tradition of playing thugs and goons. If Dukes played for class organizations like the Dodgers, Mets, Astros, Braves, Twins or other teams, he would have been shown the door long ago, and would face a very, very long road back to the majors.

Why the Devil Rays continue to handle Dukes with kid gloves remains mysterious, unless perhaps Dukes E-mailed a picture of his pistol to the team's front office as well.

Struggling Wilson Betemit Still Has His Admirers

After seeing the Braves acquire fine players such as Edgar Renteria and Danys Baez in trades for under-perfomers like Wilson Betemit and Andy Marte, one begins to wonder whether Betemint and Marte are not so much budding stars as mere products of empty Braves hyperbole.

Marte, now with the Indians, is on the disabled list with a .147 batting average and Betemit is hitting .132 for the Dodgers. But while Marte finds himself in danger of losing his starting third base job to Casey Blake, Betemit will be given every chance to continue to develop.

For one thing, Marte has never hit better than .226 in limited big-league play, while Betemit has hit .305 and .281 in parts of two seasons. Moreover, Marte has four errors on just 70 chances this year while Betemit has none in more than 130 chances.

Though Betemit would be the weakest link when the Dodgers look to make room for the return of reliever Yhency Brazoban from a Las Vegas rehabilitation assignment sometime over the next week, Betemit need not fear. He will stay right where he is.

The reason is obvious: any number of teams would step up to claim Betemit if the Dodgers attempted to send him down. Also, Betemit is the Dodgers prime power source with a projected 25-30 homers, difficult though it may be to imagine. Betemit is also virtually the Dodgers sole true option at third base.

Teams Lose Interest in Acquiring A's Rich Harden

Behind-the-scenes trade talks involving Athletics hurler Rich Harden not only have cooled, they have completely discontinued, according to an unnamed team source cited by the San Francisco Chronicle.

It's hardly a surprise considering that Harden is a time bomb set to explode and no one can be sure exactly how long is the fuse.

Though Harden was once described by then teammates Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder as the most gifted pitcher of the four, it becomes more and more clear that the young fireballer's skills -- outstanding though they may be -- far exceed the durability of his smallish, 180-pound frame.

Hardin, 25, had been red-flagged after missing close to two dozen starts last year due to his trick shoulder. He was pronounced well during spring, and when the season started looked 100 percent with his 1.42 ERA and strikeout per inning. But sadly Harden has returned to his all-too-familiar haunts on the disabled list after Dr. Lewis Yocum of Los Angeles concurred with findings from previous examinations showing that rest and rehabilitation are needed reduce discomfort and inflammation.

The findings indicate no serious structural failure, but so did repeated examinations of Cubs pitcher Mark Prior before doctors eventually relented to impose arthroscopic surgery and thus disable him for the season. No wonder Harden suspects that something more serious is afoot, so much so that he doubts his own doctors.

Here's the bottom line: Harden will try to come back within two weeks and may pitch again for awhile. But don't be surprised if he goes down again, requiring minimally that he subject himself to the scope and subsequently be placed on the 60-day disabled list at the very least.

Royals Being Patient With Young 1B Ryan Shealy

Expect the Royals to stick with Ryan Shealy at first base, even though newly promoted rookie Jeff Baker will be given a few turns at Shealy's position while Shealy is recovering from a hamstring injury.

Though Shealy has been a bust so far -- hitting a paltry .186 for the season -- he is in his prime at 28 and has proven to be major league ready with a .319, five-year minor league batting average with 103 homers.

The former 5th round pick hit .330 in 91 at-bats in his first call-up for Colorado two years ago, and hit .280 in 193 at-bats after being acquired by Kansas City last year, making an unforgettable impression on manager Buddy Bell and his coaching staff.

Baker, who hit .419 this spring and was hitting .337 at Omaha, will be used at first base, designated hitter and the outfield, hopefully punching up the team's sagging .242 batting average. But Shealy will return to first base by the middle of the month, as his slow start has been attributed to early season jitters, irregular weather and other anomalies that have impacted hitting throughout the league.

Vladimir Guerrero Will Miss Time Due to Contusion

The news on Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero's wrist injury is good, but not entirely good.

Guerrero was plunked on the right wrist by a 95-mph Josh Beckett fastball as Guerrero batted at the opening of Monday's game with the Red Sox in Boston.

Visibly in pain, Guerrero immediately fell to his knees before being escorted off field. Though an X-ray showed no fracture, the 31-year-old slugger sustained a painful contusion to the periostium that likely will impact his range of motion and performance capability for a minimum of two or three days, very likely longer.

The problem stems from the vulnerability of the point of impact, an exposed area of bone with virtually no meaty protection. If Guerrero had been hit on the fleshy portion of his bicep, say, or maybe along the muscles of his back, his return might be imminent.

As it is, however, expect Guerrero to feel discomfort for at least two or three weeks, though he might be able to return sometime over the next seven days or sooner if he can tolerate the pain and his wrist remains relatively limber. Time, rehabilitation and rest will tell.

At any rate, at least Guerrero can be grateful he sustained no fractures, which would have caused him to miss weeks, probably months due to the articulate nature of the joint in question.

Bobby Crosby's Health Woes May Be Fundamental

Despite all the big talk about the Athletics Bobby Crosby at last being 100 percent healthy, he certainly is missing an awful lot of time.

Crosby's latest hiatus came Wednesday with the idea of giving him back-to-back days of rest when stacked against Thursday's travel day.

With a batting average so tepid it has yet to crack the Medoza Line, Crosby's continued need for rest has left him with only about half the plate appearances of the regulars. Crosby seems barely a shadow of the player who once was envisioned a No. 3 hole catalyst critical to the team's win column.

On the surface, Crosby's decline is attributable to a stress fracture of the lumbar vertebrae -- fancy words for a broken back -- aggravated by his history of lower back strains, a sprained ankle and stressed rib cage, all perhaps related to one degree or another.

But more fundamental to Crosby's struggles may be his lengthy 6-foot-3 frame, historically problematic for relatively tall people with difficulties of the spine, as its a circumstance absolutely incurable by the surgeon's scalpel.

As a shortstop Crosby is playing a position perhaps best suited to a smaller, quicker man. For every successful 6-foot-3 Alex Rodriguez at shortstop, there's always two or three 5-foot-7 David Ecksteins who make darting, dodging, dipping and scooping look far easier than it comes to Bobby Crosby.

If Crosby fails to put his health problems behind him in the next two or three weeks, expect his struggles to continue throughout the year, with more injured time in store, and more questions about his long-term future as a regular.

Yankees Look for Backup for Hideki Matsui

With the major leagues flush with extraneous outfielders, it's a wonder the Yankees have been unable to consumate a deal for additional reserves to bolster a roster depleted by successive injuries first to Johnny Damon, then Hideki Matsui.

Damon has tenuously returned to action following a sore calf, but Matsui finds himself on 15-day injured list following his second hamstring strain since last year, not to mention a broken wrist that kept him out from May to September.

The Yankees exposure at the position has been underscored by the team's decision to recall outfielder Kevin Thompson from Scranton. Thompson's .300 batting average in limited action last year was good enough to knock Bubba Crosby off the roster, but he has yet to win manager Joe Torre's confidence. Robinson Cano's history of hamstring problems further exacerbates the team's thinness up and down the lineup.

Scuttlebutt depicts General Manager Brian Cashman moving behind the scenes to acquire help from any number of teams that have a surplus of outfielders in their organizations, perhaps including but not necessarily limited to the Brewers, Rays, Diamondbacks, Astros, Rockies, Mariners and Dodgers.