A’S: Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday to have a follow-up examination on his back. He had an appointment with Dr. Robert Watkins, who operated on Chavez last Oct. 9. The six-time Gold Glove winner still hopes to join the Athletics for their opening trip to Japan to play the World Series champion Boston Red Sox on March 25-26. He is even willing to go and be the designated hitter, or serve as an ambassador to promote the series.
RED SOX: Josh Beckett’s back still is feeling stiff. Boston’s ace right-hander had back spasms while warming up Saturday and left the mound before the game against Florida began. Beckett appears likely to miss the opening trip to Japan for games against Oakland on March 25-26. Manager Terry Francona says he stressed to Beckett that there is no timetable for him to pitch.
YANKEES: Special assistant to the general manager Stump Merrill was taken to a hospital after being hit just above the lip by a thrown ball during batting practice before Wednesday’s game against Tampa Bay. The Yankees said Merrill was conscious and alert. New York pitcher Andy Pettitte was scratched from his start against Tampa Bay because of irritation in his left elbow.
BLUE JAYS: Toronto assigned outfielder-infielder Travis Snider to their minor league camp. Snider, a former first-round draft choice, played at Jackson High School.
ASTROS: Houston right-hander Felipe Paulino will miss at least a month because of a pinched nerve in his upper right arm.
RAYS: Tampa Bay outfielder Rocco Baldelli will begin the season on the disabled list because of a condition that the 26-year-old says leaves him extremely fatigued after short workouts. Baldelli will be sidelined indefinitely, but said he is not retiring. He said there hasn’t been an exact diagnosis but that doctors have told him he has “some type of metabolic and/or mitochondrial abnormalities.”
CUBS: The chairman of Chicago-based Wrigley says the gum maker hasn’t decided whether to make a bid for the naming rights of Wrigley Field if they become available. The historic ballpark got its name while owned by the Wrigley family, which sold the Cubs decades ago. Tribune Company is selling the team, and chairman Sam Zell says he’d consider selling the stadium’s naming rights.
EJECTIONS: Both benches cleared during the second inning of a spring training game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, leading to the ejections of two players and two coaches.
The teams, meeting four days after Yankees manager Joe Girardi complained about Tampa Bay’s aggressive play after a home-plate collision that injured catcher Francisco Cervellio, had been warned before the game that the umpires would have little tolerance for any further problems.
The benches cleared after New York’s Shelley Duncan slid into Rays second baseman Akinonori Iwamura with the spikes raised after singling off third baseman Evan Longoria’s glove and trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Duncan was immediately tossed. Tampa Bay’s Jonny Gomes was ejected after racing in from right field and barreling into Duncan.
Yankee third base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long also were ejected by the umpiring crew, which met with Girardi and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon before the game.
Associated Press
Girardi protested Phillips’ ejection and both benches were warned.
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