AL TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTEBOOK

AL Team-by-Team Notebook — Sept. 25

The Sports Xchange

September 25, 2012 at 4:57 pm.

Yankees OF Brett Gardner was activated on Tuesday. (Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE)

 

Baltimore: After undergoing an MRI exam on his sore left elbow, LHP Randy Wolf plans to visit with Dr. Lewis Yocum this week. Yocum performed Tommy John surgery on Wolf in 2005. In five appearances (two starts) for the Orioles, Wolf is 2-0 with a 5.28 ERA. … DH Lew Ford was scratched from the lineup due to left groin soreness. Steve Tolleson took his place.

Boston: CF Jacoby Ellsbury missed a fourth consecutive start due to an undisclosed injury. Manager Bobby Valentine said Ellsbury is day-to-day. … C Jarrod Saltalamacchia led the Red Sox with 24 homers entering play Tuesday, but he had a .228 average, a .292 on-base percentage and a team-leading 131 strikeouts. “He’s one little step away from being an extremely productive offensive player,” Valentine said.

Chicago: LHP Jose Quintana, who likely will start Sunday against the Rays, was used in relief Tuesday. He retired both batters he faced in the seventh inning, throwing a total of four pitches. … LH reliever Donnie Veal earned his first save of the season Monday, but manager Robin Ventura made sure to put any closer controversy to rest. He insisted that RH reliever Addison Reed remains the closer. “This (Cleveland) team’s a little different because they’re so left-handed dominant,” Ventura said.

Cleveland: RHP Roberto Hernandez is scheduled to throw a three-inning simulated game Wednesday. He might pitch one more simulated game, according to manager Manny Acta, but he will not make another start this season. Hernandez has not appeared in a game since spraining his right ankle Aug. 27. … After giving up a game-deciding, eighth-inning homer Monday to White Sox DH Adam Dunn, RH reliever Vinnie Pestano stuck out Dunn in the same situation in the eighth Tuesday. “Today, Vinnie got the job done,” Acta said.

Detroit: 1B Prince Fielder’s first season in Detroit has been an eye-opener for manager Jim Leyland. “I didn’t realize he ran as well as he did and how good an athlete he was. He’s a pretty total package,” Leyland said. … Leyland on two of his outfielders: “(Austin Jackson) and Quintin Berry, for guys that run as well as they run, they don’t get any infield hits. They don’t get out of the batter’s box well.” Berry had 20 stolen bases though Monday, and Jackson had 11, the top totals on the team.

Kansas City: SS Alcides Escobar hit his 30th double Monday, making him the first Royal with 30-plus doubles and 30-plus steals in a season in a decade. OF Carlos Beltran had 44 doubles and 35 bases in 2002. … 3B Mike Moustakas played his 45 consecutive errorless games Monday. He had not committed an error since Aug. 1. With 41 double plays, Moustakas had shattered the club record for a third baseman, which Mark Teahen had set with 34 in 2006.

Los Angeles: 1B Albert Pujols has reached the 30-homer and 100-RBI plateau for the 11th time in his 12 major league seasons. Only four players in baseball history have had more 30-100 seasons: Alex Rodriguez (14), Jimmie Foxx, Manny Ramirez and Babe Ruth (12 apiece). … Going into Tuesday’s games, the teams with the three best records in the AL since Aug. 21 were the teams fighting for the two wild-card spots: the Angels (22-9), Orioles (22-10) and A’s (21-11).

Minnesota: LF Josh Willingham left Monday’s game because of a left shoulder strain, and he was out of the starting lineup Tuesday. He was awaiting the results of an MRI exam. … RHP Liam Hendriks allowed four homers in 6 1/3 innings Monday against the Yankees. “You see what happens when you get too many balls up over the plate,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “They end up flying a long ways.”

New York: OF Brett Gardner, out since mid-April with a right elbow injury that required surgery in July, was activated. He figures to be limited to serving as a pinch runner and defensive sub. The Yankees designated 1B Steve Pearce for assignment after he hit .160 in 12 games for New York. .. RH reliever David Aardsma also came off the disabled list, with LH reliever Justin Thomas (9.00 ERA in four games) designated for assignment. Aardsma had been sidelined since having Tommy John surgery in July 2011.

Oakland: Coco Crisp (allergic conjunctivitis) hit in the batting cage, and manager Bob Melvin said that the outfielder is seeing better out of his left eye. Crisp was out of the starting lineup for the eighth time in nine games. … RF Josh Reddick, who was riding a career-worst 0-for-27 slump, did not start. Oakland’s home run and RBI leader, Reddick had started each of the team’s previous 28 games.

Seattle: 2B Dustin Ackley was back in the starting lineup. He was lifted from Friday’s game after three innings due to neck stiffness, and he didn’t play Saturday and Sunday ahead of the team’s day off. … Rookie RH reliever Carter Capps has caught the eye of his manager. “He’s not just throwing. He’s pitching, and with one of the best fastballs in the league,” Eric Wedge said.

Tampa Bay: LHP Matt Moore had his next start pushed back a day to Saturday, with RHP Jeremy Hellickson set to start Friday on regular rest. Moore is 0-4 with a 5.72 ERA in his past six starts. … CF B.J. Upton said manager Joe Maddon deserves credit for adjusting the routine so the players could prepare how they wanted during the recent homestand, in which the Rays won the last five games. “Guys are relaxed,” Upton said.

Texas: RHP Yu Darvish had a stiff neck early in the day, so the Rangers scratched him from his scheduled start against the A’s. RHP Scott Feldman took his place. … RHP Roy Oswalt, in his first appearance since a poor start Sept. 9, pitched two scoreless innings of one-hit relief Monday. Oswalt had been sidelined due to flexor muscle soreness near his right elbow.

Toronto: RHP Carlos Villanueva, who felt more discomfort than usual the day after his last start, should be ready to start Wednesday in the series finale at Baltimore. “He’s back to normal,” manager John Farrell said. … LHP Ricky Romero ended a string of 13 successive losses in 15 starts when he pitched five-plus innings of four-run ball Monday against the Orioles. “It wasn’t pretty, but you’ve got to take them how they come. You never know when you’re going to get another one,” he said.

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