Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Royals right-hander Zack Greinke decided to drop his appeal of a five-game suspension, which he began serving Sunday.
Greinke was given the suspension for hitting Nick Swisher of the Chicago White Sox with a pitch in the seventh inning on Aug. 3. Two innings earlier, both dugouts were warned after Royals catcher Miguel Olivo charged the mound in response to being hit by a pitch from D.J. Carrasco.
Greinke said dropping the appeal is “not really” an admission of guilt.
“Even if you’re not guilty, the evidence is too strong against you to have a chance,” he said.
Greinke’s next scheduled start is Saturday against the New York Yankees and will give him six days between starts, instead of his normal four.
If Greinke had a hearing Friday, when the Royals open a three-game series at New York, and lost, he could have gone 11 days between starts.
“That’s probably why we dropped the appeal,” Greinke said. “So that the worse that could happen is what happens instead of 10 days. It probably won’t set me back too much.”
TORONTO: The Toronto Blue Jays got outfielder Vernon Wells back before Sunday’s 4-0 loss to Cleveland, only to lose third baseman Scott Rolen after the game. Wells came off the 15-day disabled list and went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter after missing 26 games with a strained left hamstring.
Scratched from Sunday’s lineup, Rolen was placed on the 15-day DL after the game with soreness in his left shoulder.
RED SOX: Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield will miss at least two starts and go on the disabled list because of a stiff right shoulder, manager Terry Francona said Sunday. Wakefield returned to Boston on Sunday for a cortisone shot after cutting short a throwing session the previous day. The 42-year-old right-hander experienced some stiffness while holding Kansas City to four hits over six innings in an 8-2 win on Wednesday. The Red Sox are taking a cautious approach with Wakefield, who missed the AL Division Series and World Series last year with a similar injury.
Also on Sunday, the Red Sox scratched first baseman Kevin Youkilis from the lineup because of a sore left shoulder.
RAYS: The surprising run of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays took a hit Sunday when the club placed outfielder Carl Crawford on the 15-day disabled list with a hand injury. Crawford was in the clubhouse before Sunday’s series finale in Seattle, but was headed to the airport for a flight back to Tampa, where he’ll be examined by team doctors on Monday. Crawford injured a tendon in his right middle finger making a check swing in Saturday night’s 11-inning win over the Mariners. Crawford said he felt a pop and his hand was sore. The Rays’ short-term solution for Crawford’s absence is activating outfielder Rocco Baldelli from the 60-day disabled list.
WHITE SOX: The Chicago White Sox placed right-hander Jose Contreras on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon, a season-ending injury. The White Sox also recalled right-hander Lance Broadway from Triple-A Charlotte, optioned lefty Boone Logan and purchased infielder Chris Getz’s contract from the minor league club.
YANKEES: The New York Yankees sent starting pitcher Ian Kennedy to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre on Sunday and recalled reliever Billy Traber from their International League club to bolster an overworked bullpen.
Also Sunday, Hideki Matsui, who went on the 15-day disabled list June 27 because of an injured left knee, had another positive workout in Tampa, Fla.
BREWERS: All-Star left fielder Ryan Braun remained out of the Brewers lineup Sunday, saying his lower back injury had made little progress. Braun said he had trouble sleeping after sustaining the injury while swinging in the first inning of the Brewers’ 6-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.
Braun, the NL player of the month for July, is listed as day-to-day, and said he had “no idea” when he would return to the lineup. Braun is batting .300 with a team-high 30 home runs and 84 RBI in 114 games.
DIAMONDBACKS: Arizona second baseman Orlando Hudson underwent surgery late Saturday night to repair a dislocated bone in his left wrist and will miss the remainder of the season. Hudson was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Sunday’s game and right-handed pitcher Edgar Gonzalez was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
Arizona selected outfielder Jeff Salazar from Triple-A Tucson, where he hit .364 in 24 games with four homers and 18 RBI.
REDS: The Reds activated right-hander Aaron Harang from the 15-day disabled list and recalled catcher Ryan Hanigan from Triple-A Louisville on Sunday. Both started Sunday’s game against Houston. To make room on the roster, the Reds optioned right-hander Homer Bailey to Louisville and designated catcher David Ross for assignment.
CARDINALS: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter was forced to leave Sunday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning with a strained right triceps.
ROCKIES: The Colorado Rockies activated right-hander Livan Hernandez to start Sunday’s series finale against the San Diego Padres. Hernandez, who was claimed off waivers from Minnesota on Wednesday, was 10-8 with the Twins before being designated for assignment on Aug. 1. He has a 5.48 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 139 2/3 innings this season.
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