Radke may rejoin depleted rotation
Twins right-hander Brad Radke, who has a torn labrum and a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder, might be able to make a start for Minnesota this week.
Radke did some light bullpen work on Monday and felt better than he did in his last session, manager Ron Gardenhire said. If the 33-year-old, who plans to retire after the season, isn’t hurting when he reports to the Metrodome for today’s game, the Twins will likely start him in the next couple of days.
If that goes well, there’s a chance Radke could have a spot in the rotation for a possible first-round playoff series. Minnesota wrapped up the wild card Monday with a win over Kansas City and still has a shot at the A.L. Central title.
“I know that if you have Brad Radke and he goes out and pitches before the playoffs and throws the living fire out of the baseball, I think you’d want to really look at that to see if he could help you out,” Gardenhire said. “Chances are he probably could, just knowing Brad Radke.”
After All-Star and Cy Young Award favorite Johan Santana, the Twins are unsettled. Rookies Boof Bonser and Matt Garza and right-hander Carlos Silva are the others who could start in the playoffs.
Indians tie slam record
The Cleveland Indians have slammed their way to tying a major league record.
Casey Blake’s grand slam in the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland on Monday gave the Indians 14 slams, tying them with the 2000 Oakland Athletics for the most in a single season.
Before he was lost for the season with a broken hand, Travis Hafner matched Don Mattingly’s major league record with six slams. Blake hit two and Ben Broussard, Shin Soo-Choo, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Andy Marte, Jason Michaels and Jhonny Peralta each had one for Cleveland.
Kouzmanoff’s bases-loaded homer came in his first major-league at-bat, and on the first pitch.
Manager, pitching coach ejected
Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Mike Butcher were ejected in the first inning against the New York Yankees for arguing balls and strikes at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Butcher was thrown out by plate umpire Alfonso Marquez for arguing from the dugout after a number of close pitches by Devil Rays starter Jae Seo were called balls. TV replays on several pitches during the inning appeared to show the calls were correct.
After being tossed, Butcher sprinted to the plate area and continued to argue with Marquez.
Butcher then appeared to make contact with crew chief and third base umpire Larry Young, who tried to get between him and Marquez.
Maddon also left the dugout to argue and was thrown out by Marquez.
Clearing the bases
Cincinnati infielder Juan Castro agreed to a $2 million, two-year contract extension with the Reds. … Padres pitcher David Wells was scratched from Monday night’s start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to gout in his right foot. … Royals manager Buddy Bell was released from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., three days after surgery to remove his tonsils and a growth behind the left one. Bell was in “good spirits,” according to a release from the Royals.