Baseball notebook: Paxton to miss start, DL is possibility
James Paxton’s status is back on hold in terms of rejoining the Mariners’ rotation.
Paxton was scratched from his scheduled Tuesday start after reporting some forearm soreness prior to Monday’s series opener against the Angels. A trip to the disabled list now looms as a possibility.
“There are still concerns,” manager Scott Servais said. “He feels a little tightness in his forearm. He got smoked the other day. We’re going to do the right thing and give him a little more time.”
Left-hander Ariel Miranda will replace Paxton as the starter Tuesday. The Mariners list Wednesday’s game as “to be announced,” but it appears to be a choice between right-handers Joe Wieland or Cody Martin.
Wieland started last Friday at Oakland and would be on his regular rest for Wednesday’s game. He gave up six runs and nine hits in five-plus innings in a 6-3 loss after being promoted earlier in the day.
Martin is currently at Triple-A Tacoma but hasn’t pitched since Aug. 10 and compiled a 2.70 ERA earlier this season in five big-league relief appearances.
Paxton was struck in the elbow by a line drive on Aug. 7 in the ninth inning of a 3-1 victory over the Angels at Safeco Field. He appeared to be responding well to treatment and reported no day-after problems Sunday following a Saturday bullpen workout.
“He wants to go,” Servais said. “He wants to take the ball, but we’ve got to do the right thing here…Give him a few more days and see where he’s at.”
Servais admitted that Paxton “could” be placed on the disabled list. Clubs are permitted to backdate injuries a maximum of five days, which means Paxton, if placed on the DL, would miss at least 10 more days.
Paxton is 4-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 13 starts since his May 30 recall from Tacoma but had allowed only five earned runs over 28 1/3 innings in his last four starts.
“It’s challenging,” Servais said, “trying to plug guys in there to keep you in games. Fortunately for us, our bullpen has been very good lately.
“If we can get to those guys in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, we’re in pretty good shape. Miranda threw the ball well for us. I feel good about putting him in there.”
Miranda has allowed three runs and 10 hits in seven innings over two appearances, including one start, since the Mariners acquired him from Baltimore in a July 31 trade lefty starter Wade Miley.
Mariners trade Sardinas: Infielder Luis Sardinas is moving on to San Diego — or, actually, Triple-A El Paso.
The Mariners traded Sardinas, 23, to the Padres for a player to be named later or cash. He was designated for assignment on Aug. 10 to clear space on the 40-man roster for pitcher Jarrett Grube.
San Diego optioned Sardinas to El Paso after the trade, but it might be a temporary move. The Padres are believed to be considering a move to release shortstop Alexei Ramirez.
Sardinas opened the season on the Mariners’ roster as a utilityman but spent much of the year at Triple-A Tacoma, where he batted .252 with four doubles and 17 RBIs in 44 games. He batted .181 in 32 big-league games.
Cubs fire Wrigley Field DJ for playing inappropriate song
The Cubs fired the Wrigley Field DJ who played an inappropriate song after Aroldis Chapman’s appearance during Sunday night’s game.
The ‘90s song, “Smack My B- Up” by the English band the Prodigy, came on the PA system after Chapman left the mound in the top of the ninth inning.
Chapman served a 30-game suspension with the Yankees this year after an alleged domestic-violence incident in which Chapman was accused of choking his girlfriend and firing eight bullets in his garage. Chapman was not arrested and no charges were filed.
Cubs President Crane Kenney apologized in a statement for the “irresponsible music selection” during the game against the Cardinals.
“The selection of this track showed a lack of judgment and sensitivity to an important issue,” Kenney said. “We have terminated our relationship with the employee responsible for making the selection and will be implementing stronger controls to review and approve music before public broadcast during our games.”
The Cubs declined to release the name of the DJ, one of two who work the sound system.
In 2013, the team played a profanity-laden song, “Love Me” by Lil Wayne during a Cubs’ batting practice. They removed it from their rotation after a Tribune story criticized the team’s playlist, which came from one of the players. The team argued the profanities had been edited out.
The Cubs hired two DJs in 2015 after installing the video boards.
Choo Choo Coleman, member of original Mets, dies at 80
Clarence “Choo-Choo” Coleman, a catcher on the expansion 1962 Mets who spent four seasons in the major leagues with New York and the Philadelphia Phillies, died Monday at age 80.
Coleman, who had been suffering from cancer, died at the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg, South Carolina, according to a niece, Linda Hibbler. Coleman had lived for more than two decades in nearby Bamberg.
Hibbler said he was born on Aug. 18, 1935. Baseballreference.com listed his date of birth as Aug 25, 1937.
Coleman said he was given his nickname was when he was young.
“When I was 8 or 9, I ran around a lot,” he told The New York Times in 2012. “My friends called me Choo-Choo because I was fast.”
Coleman played with the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro American League and signed with the original Washington Senators. He was released and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was selected by Philadelphia at the 1960 winter meetings draft and hit .128 in 47 at-bats over 34 games with the Phillies.The Mets took him in that expansion draft.
He batted .250 with six homers and 17 RBIs in 55 games for the `62 Mets, who went 40-120, the second-most losses in major league history behind only the 1899 Cleveland Spiders (20-134). Coleman also played for the Mets in 1963 and 1966, finishing with a .197 career average, nine homers and 30 RBIs in 462 at-bats over 201 games.
After his baseball career, he owned and operated a restaurant in Newport News, Virginia, before retiring to Bamberg.
He is survived by his third wife, Lucille; a son, Clarence Coleman Jr.; and a daughter, Elnora Vanessa Swint, according to Hibbler. A funeral is scheduled for Saturday at Greater Sidney Park Baptist Church in Bamberg.
Alex Rodriguez says he won’t play for any team this season
Alex Rodriguez says he won’t play again this season.
The three-time A.L. MVP was released Saturday by the New York Yankees, who owed him about $27 million for the rest of his contract, which runs through 2017.
Any team could sign A-Rod for a prorated share of the major league minimum of $507,500, and Rodriguez’s hometown Miami Marlins said they were discussing whether to reach out to the 41-year-old.
Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz says in a statement: “I want to put all this talk to rest about Alex playing for any team this season.”
Berkowitz adds: “It’s not happening. Like he said Friday night, he is happy and he is going to take some time to relax and hang with his family and friends.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that once Rodriguez left Yankee Stadium, he didn’t expect the star to join another team. But, Girardi added Monday night, “nothing that Alex does should ever surprise us.”
Cabrera leaves game with biceps injury
Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera left a game against the Royals with a left biceps strain.
In the first inning, pitcher Daniel Norris threw wildly to first and Cabrera collided with Cheslor Cuthbert while trying to catch the errant throw. He didn’t show any immediate signs of distress but was grimacing during both of his at-bats.
He flew out to deep center field in the fourth, still looking uncomfortable, and was replaced at first base by Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the fifth.
Cabrera is hitting .310 this season with 27 homers and 77 RBIs.
The Tigers said Cabrera is day-to-day.