Yankees' Sierra back from injury

By wire services
Published May 15, 2005

TAMPA - Yankees designated hitter Ruben Sierra is expected to play in an extended spring training game Monday, his first since being sidelined by a partially torn right biceps.

Sierra was hurt while swinging at a changeup April 20 against Toronto and was placed on the 15-day disabled list two days later. The switch hitter took around 45 swings from each side of the plate during his second day of batting practice Saturday at the Yankees spring training complex.

Sierra said plans call for him to start a rehabilitation assignment Tuesday with Class A Tampa and rejoin the Yankees later in the week. The Yankees opens a three-game series at the Mets on Friday.

Sierra is hitting .269 with two homers and eight RBIs. He batted .244 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs in 307 at-bats last season.

A's: Outfielder Matt Watson was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and put in the starting lineup against the Yankees. Watson, who hit .175 in 15 games with the Mets in 2003, is batting .345 with three homers and 20 RBIs for Sacramento, tying for the Pacific Coast League lead with 48 hits.

BREWERS: Right-hander Ben Sheets is making a slow but steady recovery from an inner ear infection that has sidelined him since April 21, but his return to the rotation remains uncertain. Sheets threw again Friday, two days after a 65-pitch session in Milwaukee, and took part in fielding practice Saturday in Pittsburgh. He can throw without any problem, but still gets dizzy when he turns his head rapidly to the left. Until Sheets is symptom-free, the Brewers will not send him on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.

DODGERS: Closer Eric Gagne was activated from the disabled list and was available to pitch against the Braves after he appealed his two-game suspension for heckling an umpire. Gagne missed Los Angeles' first 35 games because of a sprained right elbow, the one he had surgically repaired in 1997. The right-hander, who owns the major league-record of 84 consecutive saves, landed on the disabled list for the first time in his seven-year major league career when he hurt his elbow while compensating for a knee injury sustained during spring training. On April 6 at San Francisco, the three-time All-Star was ejected by umpire Bill Hohn for complaining from the dugout about balls and strikes. Gagne was given a two-game suspension 23 days later, pending his return to the 25-man roster.

INDIANS: An official scoring change made Jason Davis (2-1) the winning pitcher in Cleveland's 6-4 victory Friday night over Toronto in which teammate Bob Howry had been credited with his third win in four decisions. Since Cleveland starter Jake Westbrook did not pitch five innings in the game, which was delayed 72 minutes by rain, the decision on who would get the win was in the hands of official scorer Chad Broski. Broski said he originally declared Howry the winner based on the reliever pitching one perfect inning.

NATIONALS: Marlon Byrd was acquired from the Phillies for Endy Chavez in a swap of former starting center fielders who had fallen out of favor with their teams. Byrd was once a prized prospect for Philadelphia - he finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2003 after hitting .303 with seven homers, 28 doubles and 45 RBIs in 135 games. He began last season as the team's leadoff hitter but struggled badly and was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in June. He finished with a .228 batting average, five homers and 33 RBIs in 106 games with Philadelphia. Byrd was hitting .390 in spring training before dislocating his right ring finger on March 20. He started the season on the disabled list and batted .368 with three homers and five RBIs in five games of a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A. Called up early this month, he was 4-for-13 in five games with the Phillies.

[Last modified May 15, 2005, 01:21:24]