Expos’ new home still undecided

Even with obvious signs pointing toward Washington D.C. or Northern Virginia as the future home of the Montreal Expos, a top baseball official said Wednesday that four other municipalities remain in the hunt to land the orphaned team.

“No one has been eliminated,” said Bob DuPuy, Major League Baseball’s president and chief operating officer. “No decisions have been made. We have nothing yet that we can tie a ribbon on and sign.”

DuPuy characterized speculation tying the Expos to the Washington/Northern Virginia area as “rumor and innuendo.”

DuPuy led a meeting of baseball’s relocation committee at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. Major-league owners are in Philadelphia through today for quarterly meetings, and the fate of the Expos is a primary concern. Commissioner Bud Selig has promised a final answer on the team’s future by the end of September.

Technically, Norfolk, Va.; Portland, Ore.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Monterrey, Mexico, remain candidates.

But sources have said that baseball officials believe the Washington/Northern Virginia area is the most viable for long-term success of a team. Baseball is talking to two prospective ownership groups, one from each side of the Potomac, about a possible stadium lease.

Bowa’s time could be running out

General manager Ed Wade declined to give Philadelphia manager Larry Bowa an endorsement before the team’s game against the Houston Astros, saying only, “He’s the manager.”

Told that comment can be interpreted many ways, Wade replied: “Interpret it any way you want.”

The fiery Bowa has come under scrutiny because the injury-plagued Phillies have underachieved this season. They were one game less than .500 and 5 1/2 games behind in the National League wild-card race going into Wednesday night.

“I do the best I can. That’s all I can do,” Bowa said.

Sheffield says he won’t need shoulder surgery

New York Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield will not need surgery on his ailing left shoulder, but said he’ll likely get two more cortisone shots to help the pain.

“It’s good news because I ain’t never experienced the pain where it lingers on for months and you don’t need surgery,” Sheffield said before the team’s game at Minnesota. “I ain’t never heard of anything like that.”

Sheffield sent his medical reports to orthopedist Dr. Frank Jobe a few weeks ago. On Wednesday, Jobe told Sheffield that his trapezius muscle is slightly separating from the bone.

Jobe had been concerned that there was a torn or badly strained muscle on top of the bursitis that has been bothering the right fielder all season.

The remedy? At least a month of rest.

Sheffield, who was in the lineup against the Twins, said he’ll play through the pain for the rest of the season and then rest the shoulder.

Mets fan gets two months in jail

A fan who ran onto the field during a New York Mets game was sentenced to eight weekends in jail and ordered to stay out of Shea Stadium for three years.

John McCarthy, 38, of Totowa, N.J., pleaded guilty to interfering with a pro sports event. He also was put on probation for three years and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $1,000 civil penalty.

District Attorney Richard A. Brown said McCarthy had decided before the May 4 game against San Francisco to run on the field and disrupt play. He ran around the field with a sign that read “Howard Stern, Here’s Johnny,” Brown said. McCarthy previously said he fell onto the field while trying to catch a foul ball.

Clearing the bases

The Cleveland Indians called up right-hander Fernando Cabrera from Triple-A Buffalo. … Left-hander Arthur Rhodes, who missed seven weeks with a back strain, was activated from the 15-day disabled list by the Oakland A’s. … Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez was a late scratch from the lineup because of a sore right hip. … Roger Clemens left Houston’s game against Philadelphia with a strained right calf. He’s day to day. Andy Pettitte‘s season came to an end when Houston announced the pitcher would have surgery on his troublesome left elbow next week.… Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was back at the ballpark after spending one night in a hospital because of a kidney stone. … Baltimore’s Jerry Hairston is out for the season after breaking his left ankle on Tuesday.