WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Oakland Athletics right-hander Rich Harden gave up one hit in one inning of relief for Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, clearing the way for his return from the disabled list.
Out since April 16 with a strained right shoulder, Harden struck out one and looked sharp in the only minor league appearance of his rehab. Harden, who also threw 27 pitches in a simulated game on Monday, is expected to rejoin the A's as a reliever for this weekend's series against the New York Mets.
Harden entered to start the seventh and allowed a leadoff double to Gookie Dawkins on a 2-2 pitch before retiring the next three batters. He threw 16 pitches, 12 for strikes, fanning Tacoma center fielder Adam Jones for his only strikeout. He reached 93 mph with his fastball.
"Everything looks like a go for Friday," A's manager Bob Geren said in Oakland after the A's beat Cincinnati 5-3.
Assistant general manager David Forst watched the game on television and said Harden "looked good."
The plan is for Harden to work out of the bullpen until he builds up his arm strength. He has made five relief appearances during his career, most recently on Oct. 1, 2005. Full story
Braves, Tigers swap relievers
ATLANTA -- The Braves swapped left-handed relievers with Detroit, sending Macay McBride to the Tigers for Wilfredo Ledezma.
If nothing else, the deal was convenient. Ledezma will fly to Atlanta with his former team, which opens a three-game series against the Braves on Friday. McBride will hang out in his native Georgia until his new club arrives.
Ledezma is 3-1 with a 4.79 ERA in 23 games out of the bullpen this year. The 26-year-old went 15-18 with a 5.15 ERA in 33 starts and 73 relief appearances during five seasons with the Tigers.
The 24-year-old McBride, selected by the Braves in the first-round of the 2001 amateur draft, was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 18 relief appearances with Atlanta this season. He also went 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA in five starts and two relief appearances for Triple-A Richmond.
Lawyers near on Giambi meeting
NEW YORK -- Facing a Thursday deadline, lawyers neared an agreement that would lead to a meeting between Jason Giambi and steroids investigator George Mitchell.
Attorneys for Major League Baseball and the players union negotiated for a third straight day Wednesday to work out a deal that would lead to Giambi becoming the first active player known to speak with Mitchell's staff, several people familiar with the talks said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.
Several people said it was probable an agreement on rules for a Giambi-Mitchell meeting would be reached Thursday.
When he asked on June 6 for Giambi to meet with Mitchell, commissioner Bud Selig said he wanted the session to take place within two weeks. Giambi's representatives later were told the deadline would be this Thursday and it would be only for an agreement to meet, not for the meeting itself.
Carpenter close
ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter pushed himself in his second bullpen session since elbow surgery, a 50-pitch workout that brought the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner another step closer to returning to the pitching-starved St. Louis Cardinals.
"He might have taken a step and a half today," said manager Tony La Russa, who sat next to GM Walt Jocketty and watched from the bullpen bench. "He's just feeling really good, and he's had no setbacks."
Left-hander Mark Mulder also threw in the bullpen several hours before the Cardinals played the Kansas City Royals, but at a lower intensity level. Mulder is rehabbing from rotator cuff surgery last September.
The Cardinals, last in the NL with a 5.08 ERA, have three former relievers in a banged-up rotation.
Schmidt has surgery
TORONTO -- Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Jason Schmidt had season-ending shoulder surgery and is not expected to return until spring training 2008.
"We knew he hadn't been throwing well," general manager Ned Colletti said. "It's been a concern for a few starts. Obviously it's a disappointment. We'll just have to figure out how to make it better."
Schmidt went 1-4 with a 6.31 ERA in six starts.
Dodgers trainer Stan Conte said Schmidt had surgery to repair an inflamed bursa, a torn labrum and a frayed biceps tendon in his right shoulder.
Indians cut Hernandez
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians cut right-hander Roberto Hernandez, placed outfielder David Dellucci on the 15-day disabled list and recalled outfielder Ben Francisco and right-hander Edward Mujica from Triple-A Buffalo.
The 42-year-old Hernandez, whose 326 saves are 11th on the career list, was designated for assignment. Cleveland has 10 days to trade him or place him on waivers.
He went 3-1 with 6.23 ERA in 28 games after signing a $3.5 million, one-year contract as a free agent in December. He was hit hard Tuesday night in one inning against Philadelphia, allowing three runs, three hits and two walks.
Hernandez has pitched for nine major league teams since being called up in 1991 by the Chicago White Sox. He has a 67-69 record and a 3.39 ERA.
Sanchez set for surgery
CHICAGO -- Florida Marlins right-hander Anibal Sanchez, who pitched a no-hitter against the Diamondbacks last September, will undergo exploratory arthroscopic shoulder surgery Thursday.
"They're going to take a look in there with a scope," general manager Larry Beinfest said Wednesday. "I don't think they know exactly what it is, but they're going to need to take a look."
It's not clear how long Sanchez will be sidelined, but he could be lost for the season.
"Obviously he's going to have surgery, so it's going to be a while," Beinfest said. "We'll know more tomorrow after he has it done."
Qualls suspended, fined
NEW YORK -- Houston pitcher Chad Qualls was suspended for three games and fined $3,000 by Major League Baseball, two days after he threw a baseball into the stands at the Los Angeles Angels.
Qualls asked the players union to appeal the penalty, meaning he cannot be disciplined until after a hearing is held and the appeal is decided.
Qualls was hit hard in the seventh inning Monday as the Astros wasted a 9-4 lead and went on to lose 10-9. After Orlando Cabrera hit an inning-ending grounder in the seventh, Qualls threw a ball into the stands.
The decision was made by Bob Watson, baseball's vice president for discipline.
Clemens after win No. 350
DENVER -- Yes, Roger Clemens said, 350 wins has a nice ring to it.
Then again, so does a third World Series ring.
The New York Yankees right-hander will take the mound at Colorado Thursday looking to become the first major league pitcher to win 350 games since Warren Spahn did it in 1963.
"Everything's a blessing for me since I tipped my cap three or four years ago, whenever it was, and I was real comfortable with (possible retirement)," Clemens said. "Since then, I'm glad I left that percentage point open and I've been very blessed. A lot of neat things have come my way since."
Nats send for Watson
WASHINGTON -- Brandon Watson, who this week broke an International League record with a 43-game hitting streak, joined the Washington Nationals.
The Nationals purchased Watson's contract from Triple-A Columbus and also recalled right-handed reliever Luis Ayala from the 60-day disabled list. Ayala has been out for more than a year because of elbow reconstruction surgery. Right-hander Chris Schroder was also recalled from Columbus.
To make room, the Nationals designated struggling relievers Winston Abreu and Levale Speigner for assignment and placed first baseman Robert Fick on the bereavement list. Fick's mother, Gloria, died of lung cancer Tuesday.
Watson hit .330 (77-for-233) with 14 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 57 games with Columbus. His hitting streak ran from May 1 to June 17 and is tied for ninth-longest in minor-league baseball history, according to the Society of Baseball Research.
Jays recall Wolfe
TORONTO -- The Blue Jays recalled right-hander Brian Wolfe from Triple-A Syracuse, optioned righty Lee Gronkiewicz to Syracuse and gave right-hander John Thomson his unconditional release.
Wolfe appeared in four games with Toronto earlier this season, allowing two runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. He was 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in 17 games at Triple-A, striking out 23 batters while walking just six in 26 innings.
Gronkiewicz made his major league debut in Tuesday's 10-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing one run on two hits over four innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Manager John Gibbons said the Blue Jays made the move to get a fresh arm for their bullpen after starter Dustin McGowan lasted just 1 2/3 innings Tuesday.
Damon could end up on DL
DENVER -- Johnny Damon might be headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career.
The New York Yankees' designated hitter and former center fielder has been bothered since last week by a strained abdominal muscle, which he aggravated Tuesday while taking cuts in the batting cage at Coors Field.
"Especially with this last incident yesterday, it's something that we have to consider," manager Joe Torre said after speaking with GM Brian Cashman. "I just said, let's see how he feels these next couple of days and we'll have to make a decision."
Damon took batting practice before the Yankees' game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.
Bradley back
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Milton Bradley was activated from his third stint on the disabled list this season, back in the starting lineup at right field for the Oakland Athletics.
The A's made roster room by optioning infielder J.J. Furmaniak to Triple-A Sacramento. Bradley thought he should have come off the DL a few days earlier, but the A's were waiting to see how six-time Gold Glove third baseman Eric Chavez recovered from soreness around his left ribcage area that forced him to miss games Saturday and Sunday.
"It was a roster thing," manager Bob Geren said. "We had to make sure Eric was OK."
Bradley had been out since June 3 with a strained right calf after missing time twice already with a strained left hamstring. He has missed 51 games this season and he has had five DL stints in two seasons with Oakland.
Dodgers to review ban
TORONTO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers will reconsider a ban on flags and banners at Dodger Stadium after stadium security members got into a dispute with fans waving a Canadian flag at a June 9 game between Los Angeles and Toronto.
The review was confirmed by team spokesman Josh Rawitch before Wednesday's game at Toronto.
At the June 9 game, security attempted to confiscate the flag from Lee Fraser of Pembroke, Ontario, after Fraser waved it during the seventh inning stretch. Fraser is president of an expatriate group known as Canadians Abroad, two members of which were ejected for arguing.
Reports in Toronto media led to a flood of critical comments on the Canadians Abroad website. Rawitch said the Dodgers have invited the members of Canadians Abroad to attend another game at no cost, where they will meet with Canadian-born catcher Russell Martin.
Rangers owner suspects Juan
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks suspects that two-time AL MVP Juan Gonzalez may have used steroids.
"I have no knowledge that Juan used steroids. His number of injuries and early retirement just makes me suspicious," Hicks wrote in an e-mail to the Associated Press. "In any event, we paid him $24 million for very few games."
Hicks was responding to questions about a television interview in which he was asked about decisions he regretted since owning the team, then mentioned the oft-injured outfielder and steroids.
"Juan Gonzalez for $24 million after he came off steroids, probably, we just gave that money away," Hicks said in the interview, aired June 10 on KTVT-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth.
O's make McPhail prez
BALTIMORE -- Andy MacPhail was hired as president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles, two days after the last-place team fired manager Sam Perlozzo.
MacPhail will oversee all baseball operations for the struggling club, which has not had a winning season since 1997. He said he thinks owner Peter Angelos will allow him the independence he needs to run the team.
MacPhail was president of the Chicago Cubs from 1994-2006, also serving as general manager from July 2000 to July 2002. He was general manager of the Minnesota Twins from 1985-94, helping the team win World Series titles in 1987 and 1991.
His father, Hall of Famer Lee MacPhail, was Orioles general manager from 1958-65 and also was GM of the New York Yankees and president of the American League. His grandfather, Hall of Famer Larry MacPhail, brought night games to the major leagues while with the Cincinnati Reds in 1935 and was chief executive of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Yankees.
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