BALTIMORE — Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira says he’s ready to return after missing nearly two weeks with a strained left calf. BALTIMORE — Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira says he’s ready to return after missing nearly two weeks with
BALTIMORE — Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira says he’s ready to return after missing nearly two weeks with a strained left calf.
Teixeira hopes to return today for the third game of New York’s four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.
Teixeira has not played since Aug. 27 against Toronto. He ran sprints and around the bases Friday. Teixeira said he experienced some “some tightness, but that was expected.”
The slugger says he could have played Friday night, but the Yankees decided to give him an extra day’s rest before putting him back in the lineup.
He said, “I just want to be smart. I’m ready to go. The team is ready for me to be back.”
The Yankees lead the Orioles by a game in the AL East.
Carpenter comeback
still on track
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter threw a bullpen session, staying on track in his bid to return to the rotation before the end of the season.
The 37-year-old right-hander said Friday that everything felt fine. The next step is a four-inning simulated game on Monday in San Diego, one inning more than he threw on Tuesday.
Carpenter underwent surgery in July to relieve nerve compression that resulted in numbness on much of the right side of his body.
General manager John Mozeliak has said that if Carpenter returns, it’ll be as a starter.
Toronto’s Happ out
for year with fracture
BOSTON — J.A. Happ will miss the rest of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays with a fractured right foot.
The lefthander was scheduled to start against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night, but manager John Farrell said before Friday night’s series opener that an MRI and a CAT scan showed the fracture after X-rays were negative. Farrell said he wasn’t sure how the injury occurred.
Happ had been a solid starter since being obtained on July 20 in a 10-player trade with the Houston Astros. He was 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings with Toronto. In his last start, Happ struck out nine in five innings in a 4-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.
Cubs to shut down
Samardzija after
Saturday start
PITTSBURGH — The Chicago Cubs are shutting down starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija following Saturday’s start against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 25-year-old Samardzija is 8-13 with a 3.91 ERA in 165 2-3 innings this season, the former Notre Dame receiver’s first as a starter. Manager Dale Sveum says Samardzija will be replaced in the rotation by right-hander Jason Berken, claimed off waivers from the Orioles on Friday.
Samardzija’s start Saturday will be his 28th of the season, the highest on the team. His innings total this season is nearly double his previous career high, set last year when he 8-4 with a 2.97 ERA while working exclusively out of the bullpen.
Sveum pointed to the accumulation of innings — including the 20 Samardzija tossed in spring training — as the main reason behind the team’s decision.
All-Star C Carlos Ruiz
activated from DL
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies have activated All-Star catcher Carlos Ruiz from the disabled list.
Ruiz has been sidelined since Aug. 3 because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He’s batting .335 with 14 homers, 28 doubles and 58 RBIs in 313 at-bats. Ruiz was among the leaders in batting average before getting hurt.
Ruiz wasn’t in the starting lineup for Friday night’s game against Colorado. He’s expected to mostly be available for pinch-hitting and catching occasionally. Erik Kratz has done an outstanding job in his absence. Kratz has nine homers and 24 RBIs in only 108 at-bats.
Third baseman Placido Polanco was placed on the DL because of lower back inflammation, likely ending his season.
