Rays/MLB

Cards closer may be out for year

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 10, 2006

Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen will not pitch this weekend and could be done for the season with pain and inflammation in his arthritic left hip, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The right-hander blew his 10th save Wednesday, then told the club the pain in his hip had flared up.

"It's just gradually gotten worse and worse," Isringhausen told the Post-Dispatch. "I've never had this much problem with my control. The other day (Wednesday), I had no idea where the ball was going."

The pitcher is scheduled to meet with team physician George Paletta on Monday.

HAFNER SHELVED: Indians DH Travis Hafner will miss the rest of the season with a broken right hand.

Hafner, the AL leader in slugging and on-base percentage, was hurt Sept. 1 when Rangers right-hander C.J. Wilson hit him on the hand with a pitch in the eighth inning. X-rays were initially negative, but the pain persisted and a second X-ray Friday revealed the fracture.

TWO YANKS SIT: Jason Giambi was held out of New York's game against the Orioles with a sore left hand. Manager Joe Torre said the first baseman/DH was scheduled to be examined by a doctor.

Meanwhile, third baseman Alex Rodriguez didn't start because he felt ill. Torre said the defending AL MVP might be available to pinch hit.

A'S: Centerfielder Mark Kotsay will return to the Oakland area to get treatment for his injured back and is not expected to play until Friday. Kotsay missed six games with back spasms from Aug. 7-13.

ROCKIES: Catcher Yorvit Torrealba will miss the rest of the season with a strained right shoulder.

[Last modified September 10, 2006, 01:44:28]