NOMO: Hideo Nomo, who pitched a pair of no-hitters and led a rush of Japanese players to the major leagues announced his retirement Thursday, agent Don Nomura said. Nomo was the 1995 NL Rookie of the Year with the Los Angeles Dodgers and is one of only four pitchers to throw no-hitters in the AL and NL.
ATHLETICS: The Oakland Athletics traded away their second starting pitcher this month, dealing burly right-hander Joe Blanton to the Philadelphia Phillies for three minor leaguers on Thursday.
TWINS: The agent for Minnesota pitcher Francisco Liriano is asking the players’ union to investigate why the Twins have yet to call him up from Triple-A Rochester. Liriano has gone 7-0 with a 2.73 ERA in his past nine starts.
WHITE SOX: The White Sox opened a roster spot for closer Bobby Jenks on Thursday, optioning reliever D.J. Carrasco to Class AAA Charlotte.
DODGERS: The Dodgers have been awarded the championship round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, according to two sources not authorized to speak publicly in advance of an announcement scheduled to be made at a Dodger Stadium news conference on July 31.
NATIONALS: Second-round draft pick Destin Hood agreed to terms on a contract with the Washington Nationals on Thursday, bypassing playing college football at Alabama. Hood had signed a letter of intent to play for the Crimson Tide. Instead, he will begin his professional baseball career with Washington’s Gulf Coast League affiliate in Viera, Fla.
DIAMONDBACKS: The Arizona Diamondbacks signed left-hander Daniel Schlereth, the team’s No. 1 draft pick. The D-backs made him this year’s 26th overall pick.
… The Diamondbacks also acquired first baseman Tony Clark from the San Diego Padres on Thursday in exchange for minor league pitcher Evan Scribner.
METS: Pedro Martinez got a cortisone shot Thursday to heal his strained groin, forcing the New York Mets to push back his next start by at least a couple of days. Manager Jerry Manuel said Martinez will miss his scheduled start on Sunday.
CARDINALS: St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said the team will activate reliever Randy Flores from the disabled list today.
DODGERS: Los Angeles Dodgers closer Takashi Saito said he hopes to be pitching again well before the end of the season, then added that surgery is a possibility for his ailing right elbow.
Saito was diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his pitching elbow earlier this week by a team doctor, who recommended six weeks of rehabilitation before the 38-year-old right-hander is reevaluated.
RED SOX: David Ortiz is expected to return to the Red Sox lineup on July 25 for the opener of a weekend series against the New York Yankees.
TIGERS: The Detroit Tigers activated outfielder Magglio Ordonez from the 15-day disabled list Thursday and placed him in the starting lineup against the Baltimore Orioles.
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