Jays demote Marcum to Class AAA

Toronto sent struggling right-hander Shaun Marcum to Class AAA Syracuse on Saturday and recalled left-hander John Parrish from Class AAA. Marcum, 8-6 with a 3.60 ERA in 22 starts, allowed five runs and six hits in 32/3 innings of Friday’s 8-4 defeat to Boston, his first loss in five outings. Marcum, who missed 27 games earlier this season with a sore elbow, is 3-2 with a 6.19 ERA in seven starts since coming off the disabled list July 22.

RANGERS: Texas recalled pitcher Brandon McCarthy from Class AAA Oklahoma to make his first major league start of the season. To make room for McCarthy, Texas optioned right-hander Kameron Loe to Oklahoma. McCarthy hadn’t appeared in a big league game since Sept. 20, 2007. He had been sidelined since March 30 with right forearm inflammation. He was shut down after throwing one inning in spring training.

ROYALS: Kansas City placed third baseman Alex Gordon on the 15-day disabled list because of a torn muscle in his right quadriceps. Gordon, the second player selected in the 2005 draft, is the fourth Royals player to be put on the DL in four days. He was hitting .254 and was second on the team with 14 home runs, but also had club-high 109 strikeouts. The Royals activated infielder Alberto Callaspo, who went on the disabled list on June 28 for undisclosed medical reasons, one day after he was arrested for driving under the influence and spent several hours in a Kansas City jail.

TIGERS: Detroit plans to call up pitcher Chris Lambert from Class AAA Toledo to start Tuesday night against Cleveland in his major league debut. The Tigers said they will make a corresponding roster move Tuesday, when Lambert’s contract is purchased from Toledo. A 25-year-old right-hander, Lambert was 12-8 with a 3.50 ERA in 26 starts with the Mud Hens. Detroit acquired him last August from St. Louis as the player to be named in a trade for lefty Mike Maroth.

YANKEES: Joba Chamberlain threw 35 pitches off the mound, giving the New York Yankees hope the right-hander will soon recover from the rotator cuff tendinitis that put him on the 15-day disabled list earlier this month. Chamberlain, 22, has been on the disabled list since Aug. 6 and has not pitched since Aug. 4. He is 4-3 with a 2.63 ERA in 32 games, including 12 starts.

Also, Derek Jeter is honored to be part of an exclusive club with Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. For now, however, the New York Yankees shortstop is more interested in keeping his team in the playoff hunt. Jeter got his 2,500th hit Friday night, joining Gehrig (2,721) and Ruth (2,518) as the only players to reach the mark with the Yankees.

“Anytime your name is with someone like Gehrig and Ruth, it’s pretty special,” Jeter said. “To be quite honest with you, I don’t even think about it much because we’re trying to win games here. That’s something you reflect on maybe when your career’s over.”

Jeter is the 88th player in baseball history to have 2,500 hits. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, in the last 65 years only two players were younger than Jeter (34 years, 57 days) when they reached the 2,500-hit plateau — Hank Aaron and Robin Yount.

BRAVES: Atlanta activated reliever Manny Acosta from the 15-day disabled list and optioned right-hander Matt DeSalvo to Class AAA Richmond. Acosta missed 39 games with a strained left hamstring. The right-hander appeared in 41 games before the injury, going 3-5 with a 4.02 ERA.

METS: New York temporarily shelved plans to activate Luis Castillo, giving the second baseman more time to rest his strained left hip flexor. Castillo has been out since entering the game as part of a double-switch July 2 against St. Louis. He played his last rehab game for Class AA Binghamton on Wednesday night and worked out for coaches on Friday, with the expectation that he’d be activated on Saturday.

PHILLIES: Philadelphia placed outfielder Geoff Jenkins on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hip flexor and purchased infielder Andy Tracy’s contract from Class AAA Lehigh Valley. Jenkins, who has never played in the postseason, injured his hip while beating out an infield single in the third inning Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Philadelphia is in a tight race with the New York Mets for the NL East title.

PIRATES: Pittsburgh recalled left-hander Tom Gorzelanny from Class AAA Indianapolis and was given the start against the Brewers. The Pirates also got some bullpen help, activating closer Matt Capps from the disabled list. Gorzelanny was optioned to Indianapolis on July 5 after going 6-7 with a 6.57 ERA in 17 starts. Capps had not pitched for the Pirates since July 1, when he went on the DL with bursitis in his right shoulder. He was 2-3 with 17 saves and a 3.12 ERA in 37 games before the injury.

Associated Press