GOLDEN, Colo. - Authorities opened a homicide investigation after Rockies outfielder Larry Walker found a dead man on his property.
The man was identified on Tuesday as James Martinez Jr., 36, of Denver, who has served time in prison on felony drug charges. Autopsy results were not immediately released.
Walker discovered the body Sunday while four-wheeling with his toddler daughter. He is not considered a suspect.
"I did not know what it was at first," Walker said. "I didn't know if he was sleeping, if somebody had passed out, if he was drunk. I did not know."
Walker, who is recovering from a groin injury and has not played this season, said police told him the body could have been there five or six days. It was about 350 yards from his house near Evergreen.
Walker said he was shaken by the discovery.
"Who knows how his loved ones are dealing with this?" he said. "It's not about me. It's about an image burned into the back of my head forever of finding a dead guy."
ATHLETICS: An MRI test on shortstop Bobby Crosby showed a bone bruise on his left knee, and manager Ken Macha said the rookie should return by the end of the weekend. Also, Mark McLemore took grounders, ran the bases and hit during a workout, but Macha indicated the utility man isn't ready to return from surgery to repair a torn knee ligament.
CUBS: Mark Prior threw nearly 50 pitches off a mound and expects to start throwing to batters at extended spring training camp next week. Recovering from right Achilles' tendinitis and a sore elbow, Prior has thrown about 85 pitches since Monday, including some curveballs off a flat surface Wednesday.
GIANTS: They optioned right-hander David Aardsma, their No. 1 draft pick last year, to Triple-A Fresno and recalled lefty Noah Lowry.
The team plans to make another roster move today to activate lefty reliever Scott Eyre, who has been ready for two days to return from a strained lower back injury. That means Lowry might just be in town for a day.
INDIANS: Pitcher Jason Bere can't throw for two months after elbow surgery this week, another setback for the right-hander. Bere, on the disabled list 10 times in his career, was experiencing numbness in his pitching hand during extended spring training in Florida.
Bere, 32, had surgery on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated in 10 days before he begins a rehab program in Winter Haven.
The team said he should recover in 14-16 weeks.
PIRATES: Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong might have tipped his pitches while being roughed up by the Cubs in each of his past two starts.
Vogelsong was told by phone - he wouldn't say who called - that the Cubs knew what was coming as he gave up 19 hits and 15 earned runs over eight innings in the consecutive losses.
"I can think of a couple of things off the top of my head that it is, but I'm not sure," said Vogelsong, whose best pitch is a moving fastball that has hit 96 mph this season. "I'm going to have to look at the tape and see what it is."
The right-hander gave up three homers in each loss, 9-1 in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and 8-3 in Chicago on April 14.
RANGERS: Right-hander Brian Shouse was assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma to rehabilitate his left shoulder.
YANKEES: Right-hander Jorge DePaula will have elbow ligament replacement surgery today and miss the remainder of the season. Recovery time is about 10 months.
2006 ALL-STAR GAME: Pittsburgh and San Francisco, both of which have opened new ballparks since 2000, have emerged as the front-runners to host the event.
TRADE: The Twins traded left-hander Brad Thomas to the Red Sox for a player or cash. Thomas opened this season with the Twins and was 0-0 with a 16.87 ERA in three relief appearances before being designated for assignment April 13. Boston manager Terry Francona said Thomas has an elbow injury, and that a doctor will examine him in Boston on Friday. Thomas, 26, is expected to report to Triple-A Pawtucket and go on the disabled list.
