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After their game tonight, the Braves optioned Chuck James to Triple-A. James was called up by the Braves when Tom Glavine went to the disabled last last week. With Glavine set to return to the team on Tuesday, James was sent out tonight to give the Braves the option of carrying another reliever in their weekend series against the Mets.

During James second stint with the Braves this year, he made two starts and recorded two wins for the Braves. He pitched five innings in both starts and will now head back to Richmond to continue stretching himself out as a starter.

The Braves haven’t announced who they’re calling up to take his spot on the roster as of yet.

Filed under: Atlanta Braves, Chuck James, Tom Glavine | No Comments »

The Nationals optioned veteran left hander Ray King to Triple-A today and called up Mike O’Connor to be the team’s long man out of the bullpen.

King was obviously not happy with the move and said he’d take his time reporting to Columbus. King wants to be on a major league roster and said he would seek a trade to make that happen. General manager Jim Bowden said he wasn’t against working out a trade if it helped the team. Knowing Bowden’s reputation with trades, he’s probably going to ask for a Jay Bruce type of prospect in return.

“After 14, 15 years, you come in, [they] tell you you don’t have a job, it’s very surprsing,” King said. “I guess when things go bad, we start looking for other avenues. I guess I was just that avenue that didn’t fit today.”

Filed under: Mike O'Connor, Ray King, Washington Nationals | No Comments »

The Tigers activated centerfielder Curtis Granderson from the disabled list and immediately put him back in his customary leadoff spot. Clete Thomas was optioned to Triple-A to make room for him.

Along with Granderson back in the leadoff spot, the Tigers will wait at least one more day before making their switch on the corner infield. Carlos Guillen is in the lineup tonight at first base and batting third with Miguel Cabrera serving as the team’s designated hitter. Brandon Inge is getting another start at third base tonight for the Tigers.

Filed under: Brandon Inge, Carlos Guillen, Clete Thomas, Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers, Miguel Cabrera | No Comments »

Here today, gone tomorrow. Dan Johnson was claimed off waivers last Tuesday by the Tampa Bay Rays. Just a week and a day later, Johnson is gone from the Rays.

Johnson was brought in as an insurance policy when Carlos Pena went down with a hurt hamstring, but it turns out Pena was able to play and Johnson wasn’t needed. When the team acquired Gabe Gross through trade yesterday afternoon, it spelled the end for Dan Johnson as a Ray.

To make room for Gross on the roster, Johnson gets to re-experience the life of a baseball player who had been designated for assignment. As Johnson and his agent surely know by now, the Rays have ten days to release, trade or try to pass Johnson through waivers to Triple-A. The A’s were unable to work out a trade for the first baseman and the Rays claimed him off waivers, so I wouldn’t expect him to get much more interest on the trade market just a week later.

Filed under: Dan Johnson, Gabe Gross, Tampa Bay Rays | No Comments »

Most people around baseball knew this move would come eventually, just didn’t know it would come three weeks into the 2008 baseball season.

When the Detroit Tigers take the field tonight, they’ll do so with Miguel Cabrera at first base and Carlos Guillen moving over to third. Cabrera had played first base for a few games while Guillen nursed a sore hamstring as the team’s designated hitter. Brandon Inge played third base in place of Cabrera.

Leyland feels that Cabrera has played first much better than he played at third, and that, combined with Guillen having some problems with his footwork at first base is leading to the move.

Filed under: Carlos Guillen, Detroit Tigers, Miguel Cabrera | No Comments »

While the Mets learned of a timetable on one pitcher, they have lost time on another.

Orlando Hernandez was checked out by a team orthopedist and was told that his right foot would have to stay in a walking boot for at least two more weeks. This news comes two weeks after he was originally placed in the boot for two weeks.

By the time this two week stay in the boot is over, Hernandez will have spent a month in a walking boot, likely meaning his preparation for the baseball season will have to start over at spring training.

It’s not likely that Hernandez goes straight from the boot to the mound, so it’s conceivable to think that he’ll have to spend some time throwing on flat ground before progressing to the mound. If the Mets are hoping to get Hernandez back before the all-star break, things aren’t looking good.

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After being examined by team orthopedist David Altchek, the Mets and Pedro Martinez finally have a timetable for his return. Altchek’s prognosis is that Martinez can return to the mound in 10-14 days, but that would just be for a bullpen session.

Pedro had been hoping to return from the disabled list around that time, but the Mets had remained doubtful. At least now the team has a starting point for mapping out his return.

“He’s progressing well,” assistant general manager John Ricco said. “He’s ahead of where we thought he’d be.”

Newsday suggests that Martinez could need three additional weeks before he would be ready to return to the Mets.

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Tom Glavine doesn’t believe his first trip to the disabled list will keep him out beyond when he’s eligible to come off the disabled list. He is eligible to come off the list on Tuesday, and Glavine is preparing to start that night.

Glavine will play catch today and then go through a side session on Thursday as the final test for his hamstring.

“It’s progressively getting better,” Glavine said. “It’s not 100 percent yet, but I don’t really have pain. It’s sore where the [bruising] is. That’s normal. The biggest thing with me when I did it was my flexibility. I’m usually pretty flexible. Now it’s tight, but it doesn’t hurt.”

Filed under: Atlanta Braves, Tom Glavine | No Comments »

The merry-go-round surrounding the last few years of Mike Hampton’s career is back at it. After throwing another successful bullpen session, Hampton has declared himself ready to start a minor league assignment.

Hampton has successfully completed three bullpen sessions since having his return to the rotation scratched with a strained pectoral muscle just minutes he suffered just minutes before making his season debut on April 3. The intensity level of his bullpen sessions increased each time, with the last one coming at near maximum effort.

“I let it go about as much as I could in a bullpen,” Hampton said. “You always wonder if that pitch will happen again where you feel it again. Hopefully a minor-league rehab will get that thought process out of my head and I’ll be able to move forward and get back in the rotation.”

Hampton could start his rehab assignment on Friday and will likely get at least two starts, probably closer to three or four, to give him every chance to get over the mental hurdle of suffering another injury.

Filed under: Atlanta Braves, Mike Hampton | No Comments »

The Mariners activated closer J.J. Putz from the disabled list today, optioning R.A. Dickey to Triple-A to make room for him.

Putz should return to the closer’s role right away, with Mark Lowe and Ryan Rowland-Smith returning to their normal setup duties.

Dickey was optioned out because Erik Bedard is expected to come off the disabled list to make the start on Saturday, making Dickey no longer needed on the major league roster.

Filed under: Erik Bedard, J.J. Putz, Mark Lowe, R.A. Dickey, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Seattle Mariners | No Comments »