David Price will rejoin the Rays rotation on Friday. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)
Baltimore: RF Nick Markakis underwent surgery to insert pins into his broken left thumb. The pins could be removed in three weeks, and Markakis hopes to return to action if the Orioles can advance to the AL Championship Series. … Adding some roster reinforcement with Markakis sidelined, the Orioles purchased the contracts of OFs Endy Chavez and L.J. Hoes from Class AAA Norfolk (Va.). RH reliever Kevin Gregg (3-2, 4.74 ERA in 40 appearances) and Norfolk IF Ryan Adams were designated for assignment.
Boston: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka will remain in the rotation despite allowing 11 runs in five innings over his past two starts. Manager Bobby Valentine said Matsuzaka had made an adjustment to correct a mechanical flaw. … LHP Franklin Morales is likely done for the season due to a sore left shoulder. He was awaiting the results of an MRI. “Considering the whole situation, I don’t think he needs to pitch anymore,” Valentine said.
Chicago: DH Adam Dunn (strained right side muscle) hasn’t started a game since Sept. 5, and it’s looking as if he could be sidelined into the weekend. He is still unable to swing a bat. … Rookie LHP Jose Quintana had gone 0-2 with an 8.66 ERA in his previous four starts, but he beat the Tigers on Monday, allowing one run in 7 2/3 innings. “This was probably the biggest game he ever pitched in his life,” C A.J. Pierzynski said. “It was fun to kind of watch him grow up in front of your eyes.”
Cleveland: SS Asdrubal Cabrera sat out a second consecutive start due to a sore right wrist. “We’re not going to put him out there until he’s ready to play pain-free,” manager Manny Acta said. … RHP Justin Masterson, the Indians’ opening-day starter, has experienced an inconsistent season. He’s 11-13 with a 4.96 ERA, and he’s never won more than two consecutive decisions or lost more than three consecutive decisions.
Detroit: The Tigers had scored two runs or fewer in six of their past seven games through Monday, and they’d lost each of those low-scoring efforts. “I don’t really know if guys are trying too hard with their at-bats or trying to do too much,” manager Jim Leyland said. “The fact of the matter is our run production recently has not been very good.” … CF Austin Jackson had not driven in a run in his past 22 games entering play Tuesday, the longest drought of his career. He had hit .258 (23-for-89) in that span.
Kansas City: RHP Jeremy Guthrie is 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA in his past seven starts, and the Royals have won all seven games. “That’s what it’s all about. If the team wins every time you pitch, that’s a good thing,” Guthrie said. … DH Billy Butler entered play Tuesday stuck on 99 career homers since Aug. 17, a span of 22 homerless games. He was aiming to become the 12th player in Royals history to reach 100 home runs. Only George Brett (317) has topped 200 with the franchise.
Los Angeles: RHP Ervin Santana, who starts Wednesday against the A’s, is 14-4 with a 2.05 ERA in 25 career appearances (23 starts) vs. Oakland. It is the most victories he has against any opponent and his lowest ERA against any team he has faced more than twice. … LH reliever Nick Maronde’s strikeout streak ended in his third major league appearance. He had fanned all four batters he’d faced over his first two outings, but he gave up a single and a walk to the only two Oakland hitters he opposed Monday.
Minnesota: C Joe Mauer was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms. Ryan Doumit replaced him behind the plate. … Josh Willingham was back in left field for the first time since the second game of a Sept. 1 doubleheader. Since then, Willingham had missed three starts and had played five games as the designated hitter due to a sore right hamstring.
New York: LHP Andy Pettitte, out since late June with a broken left leg, is scheduled to pitch a simulated game Wednesday. If all goes well, Pettitte might be able to return to the rotation next week, manager Joe Girardi said. … With RF Nick Swisher a possibility to see action at first base in the absence of Mark Teixeira (calf), the Yankees called up OF Melky Mesa, 25. Over a combined 121 games in Class AA and Class AAA this year, Mesa hit .264 with 23 homers and 67 RBI.
Oakland: RHP Jarrod Parker earned his 10th victory of the season Monday, giving the team two rookies, Parker and LHP Tommy Milone, with double-digit wins for the second time in Oakland history. LHP Brett Anderson and RHP Trevor Cahill did it in 2009. … With his save Monday in the series opener against the Angels, RH reliever Grant Balfour improved to 10-for-10 in save chances since regaining the closer role Aug. 11. After a slow start to the season, he had a 1.85 ERA in his past 43 games entering play Tuesday.
Seattle: Manager Eric Wedge plans to use a combination of seven starting pitchers down the stretch. RHP Felix Hernandez and LHP Jason Vargas will start every fifth day, but the other games will be split among RHPs Kevin Millwood, Hisashi Iwakuma, Blake Beavan, Erasmo Ramirez and Hector Noesi. … Beavan had his turn skipped Tuesday. He won the first four games after his recall from Class AAA Tacoma (Wash.) in mid-July, but since then, the Mariners lost four of his past six starts, during which he had a 4.89 ERA.
Tampa Bay: LHP David Price, who missed a start last weekend due to a sore shoulder, is penciled in to rejoin the rotation Friday at Yankee Stadium. He threw a pregame bullpen session and said he felt fine. … LF Desmond Jennings said he was available for the series opener at Baltimore, but he was held out of the starting lineup. He had missed the previous two games due to lower back stiffness.
Texas: RH closer Joe Nathan shagged fly balls in the outfield and signed autographs while wearing a full Dallas Cowboys uniform, including pads and a helmet. It was the payoff of a bet with RH reliever Mike Adams on last week’s Cowboys-Giants game; Nathan took the Giants. … IF Jurickson Profar, IF Mike Olt and OF Leonys Martin, three of the Rangers’ top prospects, are scheduled to play for Licey in the Dominican winter league. Olt is expected to get some time in the outfield there.
Toronto: RHP Chad Jenkins likely will get his first major league start during the Sept. 24 doubleheader in Baltimore. Depending on how he does, he could remain in that rotation spot the remainder of the year, manager John Farrell said. … Anthony Gose is expected to start in left field Wednesday, which could provide a clue about he could be used next season. Gose is a center fielder by trade, but Colby Rasmus appears to be set there for next year. Gose has been playing right field with Jose Bautista out due to a wrist injury.
