Dodgers’ Penny exits with injury
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny injured his throwing arm in the first inning Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies and left the game.
Pitching for only the second time since getting traded to Los Angeles, Penny strained his right biceps on his 14th pitch. Assistant trainer Matt Wilson came out of the dugout with manager Jim Tracy to check on Penny, who threw one warmup pitch and jumped off the mound writhing in pain before Wilson led him to the clubhouse.
Penny is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.
He joined the N.L. West leaders just before the trade deadline in a deal that sent Paul Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota and Juan Encarnacion to the Florida Marlins.
Penny, 26, allowed just two infield hits over eight scoreless innings in his Dodgers debut last Tuesday night to beat Pittsburgh. On Sunday, he retired leadoff batter Jimmy Rollins on a flyout before giving up a home run to Chase Utley and retiring Bobby Abreu. Penny made only one pitch to Jim Thome before Giovanni Carrara replaced him.
Penny won two games in last year’s World Series against the New York Yankees, helping the Marlins win their second championship. He entered Sunday with a 49-42 career record and 4.00 ERA in 131 career starts.
Blue Jays fire Tosca
Toronto Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca was fired and replaced by first-base coach John Gibbons.
Struggling through a disappointing season, the Blue Jays fired Tosca less than an hour after they were beaten by the New York Yankees for their fifth straight loss.
Gibbons will be the interim manager for the rest of the season.
“We have six or seven weeks left in the season and the team showed signs of not playing hard,” said general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who hired Tosca on June 3, 2002. “We have an obligation to try and do as well as we can. It wasn’t an easy decision. It never is when you have to tell someone who does what he loves that it’s being taken away from him.”
Tosca is the third major league manager to be fired this season, following Houston’s Jimy Williams and Arizona’s Bob Brenly.
Tosca was told of the decision after an 8-2 loss to the Yankees dropped the Blue Jays to 47-64, a season-high 17 games under .500.
“The team seems to have hit the skids and we had to do something,” team president and CEO Paul Godfrey said.
Tosca’s contract was up after this season. He said he hoped the Blue Jays would turn things around.
Mets’ injuries piling up
New York shortstop Kaz Matsui left Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals with back spasms, leaving his status uncertain as the Mets head home after a long road trip.
The Mets also lost catcher Vance Wilson early in a 6-2 loss to the Cardinals. Wilson was struck in the head on Albert Pujols’ backswing in the first inning and left the game with a cut to his left ear. He did not need stitches.
Meanwhile, Mike Piazza missed his second straight start with a sore left knee and left wrist. The team expects him to return to the lineup after an off-day today.
The Mets ended a 13-game road trip 5-8 and begin a six-game homestand Tuesday against Houston.
Clearing the bases
Manny Ramirez was scratched from the Red Sox lineup for the second straight day because of flu-like symptoms. … Cardinals outfielder Ray Lankford was not with the team on Sunday while mulling whether to accept an option to the minor leagues or be released. Lankford had been due to come off the 15-day disabled list from a wrist injury on Friday but the team does not need him after acquiring Larry Walker. … Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook has blood clots in both lungs and will miss the rest of the season. Manager Clint Hurdle said the condition is not life threatening and the 25-year-old right-hander is being treated with blood thinners. … The Diamondbacks optioned left-hander Randy Choate to Triple-A Tucson and recalled left-hander Shane Nance from Tucson.