Baseball owners and players were close to finalizing an agreement on instant replay, and an announcement on the start of the innovation likely will be announced next week.

Management and the umpires’ union signed an agreement Wednesday, leaving a deal with players as the next step. That process was just about wrapped up.

“We’re getting that done,” Jimmie Lee Solomon, Major League Baseball’s executive vice president for baseball operations, said Saturday at the Beijing Olympics. “We’ve been working with the players and umpires, and they’ve all been very amenable.”

In addition, equipment must be installed in about five more ballparks before baseball can start using replays.

Umpires will be allowed to check video to determine boundary calls on home runs — whether balls cleared fences or went by the foul pole in fair territory.

BLUE JAYS: Toronto placed outfielder Brad Wilkerson on the 15-day disabled list Friday with lower back spasms and added utilityman Jose Bautista to the 25-man roster.

Bautista, acquired from Pittsburgh on Thursday for a player to be named, was not in the lineup Friday. He will start at third base today when the Blue Jays face Boston left-hander Jon Lester, manager Cito Gaston said.

Wilkerson injured his left shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield last month and has been missing time ever since. He last played Sunday, meaning the move to put him on the disabled list is retroactive to Aug. 18.

RANGERS: Texas activated Hank Blalock from the 15-day disabled list for Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Indians, with the former All-Star third baseman making his major league debut at first base.

Blalock has been out since July 29 because of inflammation in his right shoulder. The problem makes throws across the diamond difficult, so he’ll be a first baseman at least for the rest of this season.

RED SOX: Boston outfielder J.D. Drew has a herniated disk in his back, but is optimistic the pain will subside without a trip to the disabled list.

Drew left an Aug. 17 game with tightness in his lower back and missed all three games of Boston’s recent series in Baltimore. He was expected to return to the lineup Friday but had to be scratched when the soreness returned.

ROYALS: Kansas City placed reliever Ron Mahay on the disabled list Friday. Mahay, who has worked just one-third of an inning since Aug. 6, has plantar fasciitis on his left foot. He went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 16.

TIGERS: Nate Robertson, who gave up five home runs in a start Wednesday at Texas, was placed in the Detroit Tigers bullpen on Friday. Robertson has won only once in his past 11 starts, is 7-10 with a 6.09 ERA and opponents are hitting .318 off him in 26 starts. He has permitted 25 home runs, tied for the most in the American League.

ASTROS: Houston activated infielder Jose Castillo for Friday night’s game against the New York Mets after picking him up off waivers from the Giants. Castillo was placed on outright waivers by San Francisco on July 13 and the Astros claimed him a week later. To make room for Castillo on the roster, Houston sent infielder J.R. House to Class AAA Round Rock.

BREWERS: Milwaukee All-Star Ryan Braun returned to the starting lineup Friday against the Pirates as he continues to deal with a nagging, tight back. While the team said the back problems haven’t been severe enough to put Braun on the 15-day disabled list, the All-Star slugger didn’t start nine of the previous 11 games.

CARDINALS: St. Louis right-hander Chris Carpenter increased the effort in his second bullpen session on Friday, but the 2005 NL Cy Young winner may not return before Sept. 1 when rosters can be expanded.

Carpenter, a 21-game winner in 2005, is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list because of a strained shoulder on Tuesday. He said he’ll probably need at least two more bullpen sessions before he will be cleared to return. On Sunday, he plans to try throwing closer to 100 percent to mimic his normal pre-game routine.

PADRES: San Diego activated catcher Josh Bard from the 15-day disabled list on Friday, but he was not in the starting lineup against the San Francisco Giants.

Bard, who has been San Diego’s regular catcher this season while Michael Barrett has battled elbow and nose injuries, had been on the DL with a strained right triceps since Aug. 9. He went 0-for-3 during a rehab start for Class A Peoria on Wednesday.

PIRATES: Pittsburgh activated Doug Mientkiewicz from the bereavement list before Friday night’s game against the Brewers.

Mientkiewicz was placed on the bereavement list Monday to be with his wife, Jodi, for her pacemaker procedure. She returned home to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Associated Press