News & Notes: Wells out 4-6 weeks; Alou's career over?; Pirates make handful of moves plus 'stros, Cards and Nats news
On Wednesday, the Blue Jays held their breath when their biggest offensive producer Vernon Wells left the game after injuring his hamstring while stealing third base. On Thursday, the team placed Wells on the 15-day disabled list and expect him to miss from four to six weeks.
The loss of Wells is a major blow for the Blue Jays weak offense -- currently 12th in the American League with 4.18 runs per game. Despite missing three weeks in June with a fractured left wrist, Wells leads the team with nine home runs and 42 RBI in 64 games. He also owns a .287 batting average.
To replace their biggest offensive weapon, the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Kevin Mench from Triple-A Syracuse. Mench will join the team for their weekend series with the Yankees. Mench -- in his seventh Major League season -- was on the roster earlier this season and hit .210 with five RBI in 24 games.
WELLS' PLAYER PAGE ON BASEBALL DIGEST DAILY
MENCH'S PLAYER PAGE ON BASEBALL DIGEST DAILY
The news got about as bad as it could get for Mets outfielder Moises Alou on Thursday. After leaving Wednesday's rehab start with Double-A Binghamton with a hamstring injury, an MRI the next day revealed a tear in his left hamstring. The team is recommending season-ending surgery and Alou's season might be over without the surgery, anyway. The bigger question -- does this latest injury end the 42-year-old outfielder's 17-year career?
Alou has been riddled with injuries all season and has played just 15 games this season. In 49 at-bats, Alou was hitting .347 with nine RBI but three trips to the disabled list before this latest injury extended his latest stint on the DL and it is unlikely the former All-Star will see action again in 2008 -- if ever.
Now, the Mets will turn to Fernando Tatis as an option in the outfield as they wait for Angel Pagan and Ryan Church to return from their injuries. GM Omar Minaya again refused rule out Barry Bonds as an option on Thursday but based on all other stories involving Bonds, it seems to be more of a creation of the media than anything concrete.
ALOU'S PLAYER PAGE ON BASEBALL DIGEST DAILY
The Pittsburgh Pirates were the league's busiest team on Thursday. Before they took the field for their make-up game with the Yankees on Thursday, the team was involved in four moves although none will have a major impact on the team.
First, the team sent down Wednesday's starter, John Van Benschoten, to Triple-A Indianapolis and replaced him with reliever Luis Munoz from Double-A Altoona. The move bolstered a worn out bullpen taxed by injuries to Matt Capps and Franquelis Osoria with one more arm through the All-Star break.
Then, Pittsburgh found out that their attempt to slide pitcher Bryan Bullington failed when the Cleveland Indians claimed him off of waivers. Bullington, the former first overall pick of the 2002 Draft, ended his career with the Pirates with an 0-3 record and 5.89 ERA in three Major League appearances. The Pirates hoped to get Bullington through waivers and send him back to Triple-A Indianapolis but instead, he was claimed by the Indians and assigned to Triple-A Buffalo.
The third move of the day for the Pirates again involved the Indians. Pittsburgh acquired two Minor Leaguers -- right-handed pitcher Dan Reichert and utilityman Ryan Mulhern -- from the Indians in exchange for cash or a player to be named later. Both players were assigned to Indianapolis. Reichert, 31, might be an option to start for the Pirates who have the worst ERA in the National League although he has not made a Major League start since 2002 or appeared on a Major League roster since 2003.
The fourth move of the day saw the Pirates send first baseman Craig Wilson to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named later. The 31-year-old Wilson was assigned to Triple-A Tacoma and the trade ended Wilson's second stint with the club. Wilson played with the Pirates from 2001 to 2006 before shipped to the Yankees during a trade deadline deal for pitcher Shawn Chacon. Wilson played the first two months of last season with the Atlanta Braves before receiving his release and was picked up and released by the Chicago White Sox before rejoining the Pirates.
The Houston Astros were one-for-two in their attempt to send down two veterans on Thursday. Pitcher Oscar Villarreal rejected his Minor League assignment to Triple-A Round Rock thus making him a free agent while outfielder Reggie Abercrombie accepted his and will report to Round Rock on Friday.
Villarreal, 26, was 1-3 with a 5.02 ERA in 35 relief appearances and the team felt he needed some seasoning in the Minors to work through his pitching issues. Unfortunately for the Astros, Villarreal disagreed and chose free agency leaving the team on the hook for the balance of his two-year, $2.85 million contract the Astros signed him to when he was traded to Houston by the Atlanta Braves last December. Villarreal's agent Oscar Suarez stated five or six teams showed interest in his client's services which played into Villarreal's decision to become a free agent.
Abercrombie chose to stay with the Astros organization and return to Round Rock. During his latest stay with the team, he hit .188 in 14 games highlighted by a pinch-hit home run against the Boston Red Sox on June 27.
VILLARREAL'S PLAYER PAGE ON BASEBALL DIGEST DAILY
ABERCROMBIE'S PLAYER PAGE ON BASEBALL DIGEST DAILY
As expected, Saint Louis Cardinals pitcher Mark Mulder landed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday after his first start since September 16, 2007 ended after just 16 pitches on Wednesday. Another injury to his left shoulder ended Mulder's latest comeback attempt with the Cardinals and from comments following Wednesday's game might have been his last shot with the team.
The team called up top pitching prospect Jaime Garcia from Triple-A Memphis. Garcia, 22, is 7-6 with a 3.35 ERA in 17 starts between Double-A Springfield and Memphis although Garcia was inconsistent during his stay at Memphis. The move will cost Garcia an opportunity to pitch in the XM All-Star Futures Game on Sunday where he was slated to pitch for the World team.
MULDER'S PLAYER PAGE ON BASEBALL DIGEST DAILY
Call Hank Steinbrenner, the National League did it again! Apparently, they use pinch runners in that darn NL and Nationals infielder Aaron Boone became the victim of their wacky rules. Boone injured himself while jogging to first base to pinch run for first baseman Dmitri Young last Sunday and after nearly a week the status of his left calf strain failed to improve and Boone was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday. Infielder Pete Orr was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to fill in for Boone while he recovers.
The move was retroactive to July 7 and the team expects to have Boone back by July 22 for their series against the San Francisco Giants. Boone is hitting .258 with five home runs and 17 RBI in a reserve role with the team this season.
Orr joins the team for the second time and was 2-for-11 in seven games during his last stay.
BOONE'S PLAYER PAGE ON BASEBALL DIGEST DAILY
ORR'S PLAYER PAGE ON BASEBALL DIGEST DAILY
Colorado Rockies and National League All-Star manager Clint Hurdle announced that Mets third baseman David Wright will replaced injured Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano on the National League roster for this year's All-Star Game.