Web site daily updates (2006)

Original information will appear in black letters (Monday-Tuesday) with updated info in green lettering (Wednesday-Thursday) and blue lettering (Friday-Sunday). This way you can skip the stuff you've already read.

BOSTON RED SOX

An MRI on Manny Ramirez's right knee was negative, but he still might miss a few games. They could just shut him down as well. He has not played since Sept. 9 and had played sparingly since Aug. 21.

Coco Crisp is scheduled for surgery on his left index finger Monday. There is a fracture in the bone that will require a pin or a screw to be inserted but he will be ready for the start of spring training. A club spokesman said the fracture was in the same area as the original injury, which suggests Crisp may have resumed activity before the finger was fully healed which explains his ongoing struggles this year. “His finger healed up, to the point where he was fine to play," Terry Francona said. “Over the course of the season, just by banging it around, hitting balls off the end of the bat, things like that, he got a little separation in there that I think caused him a lot of pain, more than he ever let on."

Matt Clement plans to see Dr. James Andrews to determine the cause of continuing pain in his right arm. He cut short a bullpen session Friday after a handful of pitches, and now is open to exploratory surgery if necessary. He went on the disabled list June 14 with a shoulder strain and biceps tendinitis.

Manny Ramírez, as a pinch hitter, made his first appearance in a game after sitting out the last 12 and 22 of the previous 30 with a sore right knee. “He told me he was available,” Francona said. “If we can use his bat any way we can, we're going to use it." Francona said it was doubtful Ramírez would start the next two days.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

Dallas McPherson needs to have a big spring next year after all the injuries. A herniated disk hampered in his lower back him and also a hip injury, limiting him to 61 big league games last season and 37 games this year. Asked if he was still in the plans plans, GM Bill Stoneman said, "Yes … if he's healthy."

Vladimir Guerrero is realty struggling in right field, and could be moved to designated hitter if the team signs somebody over the winter. Of his 11 errors, five have come on fly balls that he should have caught. He also has overthrown cut-off men and thrown wildly past bases but he seems to have the most trouble making running catches to his left and catching balls over his head. "A lot of it is explainable," Mike Scioscia said. "His knees have been a little cranky, and if you're not running with a proper gait, the ball is going to move on you. He's played banged up this year. We've had to play him so much because of his impact on the lineup, and he hasn't had as much time off as he could use."

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Nomar Garciaparra might need an occasional day off to rest his sore leg muscle. "He is really having trouble moving around," Grady Little said. "We are trying to help him out any way we can." 

Marlon Anderson will continue to play left field as long as he hits. "I sat him down when he got here and told him about his role which had nothing to do with playing every day,” Little said. "But this time of the year, you've got to go with the hot hand. The players show us where they need to be and, right now, he needs to be in the lineup." A prolonged September slump has sent Andre Ethier to the bench. "I plan to have him here,” GM Ned Colletti said. “He's got a long, good future ahead of him in L.A."

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

The Pirates plan to go with a six-man rotation for the last two weeks of the season.

Salomon Torres is 10-for-10 since taking over the closer’s role and became the fourth pitcher in history to make 90 appearances in a season. "Gonzo's the closer, and I'm just his substitute," Torres said. "But I do hope that what I've done has opened the eyes of management that I can contribute in that role when needed." Mike Gonzalez is 24-for-24 in save situations.

Gonzalez threw off a mound for the first time since Aug. 15 and should have another session on Saturday. If that goes well, he might be available to pitch Tuesday. He will not close again this season though.

Paul Maholm, bumped from his scheduled start Thursday by a tender rotator cuff, will not be back Sunday, either. Marty McLeary will take that start.

Jose Castillo sat out for a third consecutive game, partly because of tightness in his lower back and because he is mired in a terrible slump. He has also committed a team-high 18 errors and suffered many other lapses in the field and on the bases. The team wants Freddy Sanchez to take over at second base next season, possibly moving Jose Bautista to third base, his natural position.

Shawn Chacon has had two good starts in a row. He says that when he has struggled over the past two years, it has been because of a -nagging knee injury – believed to be a torn meniscus – that he plans to have surgically repaired this fall. "When the knee is fine like it has been lately, this is how I pitch,” he said. “This is hard as I've thrown since I was closing for Colorado two years ago."

Jason Bay was scratched last night after being sent to a nearby hospital for intravenous fluids to address a stomach virus in the afternoon.

SEATTLE MARINERS

After one start, Joel Pineiro is back in the bullpen again in favor of Jake Woods. "I felt we weren't being fair to Joel," Mike Hargrove said. "His stamina now isn't what it should be. There are three starts left. By the time we'd get to where Joel's pitch count would be up where it needs to be, it would be the last start. Before (Pineiro went back in the rotation), I felt it wasn't going to be that big a deal. But in Kansas City, after he hit the 45-pitch limit, he started losing his arm slot and it didn't get any better."

Jarrod Washburn will miss the rest of the year with a strained right calf.

Yuniesky Betancourt was hit on the inside of his right knee by a pitch and will miss a few games and might not play until next week. "For a long time, I didn't feel anything," he said. "I tried to get up, but the leg wouldn't move."

Willie Bloomquist has been hitting better lately after working on his swing with batting coach Jeff Pentland. "Willie started changing his swing three weeks ago, and he's managed to stay with it, so it was great to see all those hits," Pentland said. "That's not an easy thing to do midway trough the season, but the results are starting to be seen."

TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS

Scott Kazmir, out since Aug. 22 with a sore shoulder, threw off flat ground on Monday and then was shut down for the rest of the season. "The only reason I did want him to pitch would be to make sure he felt good going into next season," Joe Maddon said. "The big thing is that he feels good about himself going into the offseason and he does, so I was good with that."

Jorge Cantu was a late scratch from the lineup with a fever. "The way he looked, he might still be down (today)," Joe Maddon said.

James Shields has been shut down for the season after 186 innings pitched combined with Tampa Bay and Durham. But Maddon said he has earned a spot in next year's rotation. "He's demonstrated that he can be a major-league starter," the manager said. "He's done a nice job. The thing I like is that he's understanding and he knew he had a lot to learn. He still has a lot to learn. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he looks like next year with all the experience he's had this year."

B.J. Upton finally hit his first homer of the season Saturday night. "As soon as he hit it I said it was gone," Maddon said. "What you saw tonight is what we know is going to happen down the road." Upton has been working with hitting coach Steve Henderson to use the bottom half of his body to complement his powerful upper body when he swings. "I've been working hard to get my swing back," Upton said. "It's slowly coming and I'm going to keep working."

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Brian Schneider is day to day with a sore groin.

Beltran Perez might get another start or two after throwing six shutout innings Tuesday night. The lanky 24-year-old went 8-6 with a 3.11 ERA, primarily as a reliever the first two months of the season and mostly as a starter the rest of the way at AA Harrisburg this year. "There are things that impress you about him," Frank Robinson said. "He's very calm out there on the mound, he's a very cool customer, went after the hitters – strike one, strike two, ball one." Mixing a fastball and slider, catcher Brandon Harper was also impressed: "He had everything working, he located pretty well and his ball had some life to it. He's here for a reason and he's got good stuff. He went after them. He wasn't afraid."

Nick Johnson broke his right leg in an outfield collision Saturday night and will miss the rest of the season. He had surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training.

Austin Kearns, who suffered some bruises in the collision with Johnson, was rested on Sunday. "It's pretty sore, but I'll be fine," he said. Kearns said that his left side and right quadriceps are hurting and that he may need more than one day off.

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