Ramirez says trade OK, but unlikely
Manny Ramirez would agree to a trade that would make both him and the Boston Red Sox happy, but said he doesn’t think the team will deal him.
Four days before the non-waiver trading deadline, Ramirez said Sunday, “I’m tired of them. They’re tired of me.” The Red Sox have a $20 million option on him for next year.
He spoke for less than two minutes in Boston’s clubhouse before the game with the New York Yankees.
On Friday, Ramirez said he couldn’t play because of a sore right knee and manager Terry Francona scratched him from the original lineup. MRIs on both knees then “came back fine,” Francona said, and Ramirez started Saturday and was in the lineup again Sunday.
Guillen reinjures groin
Jose Guillen was held out of the lineup after reinjured his left groin in the Kansas City Royals’ 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night.
Guillen said he hurt his groin coming out of the box on his fifth-inning RBI single.
He remained in the game and fans booed when he grounded into a double play to end the seventh and let a B.J. Upton flyball to shallow right drop in front of him in the eighth.
“Some of the fans are yelling at me, ‘Why you not hustle? Why you not hustle?’ ” Guillen said. “I should have been smart and just taken myself out of the game because I could not even walk right. I thought that by staying in the game, it might get better, but it only got worse.”
Royals manager Trey Hillman said the injury does not appear serious enough to put Guillen on the disabled list.
Designated for Beijing
Brandon Knight was designated for assignment so the New York Mets could add an extra arm to their bullpen after a 14-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals the previous night.
His consolation prize? Knight is headed to Beijing as a member of the U.S. Olympic team.
Knight said he would have preferred to stay with New York, where the 32-year-old filled in admirably for Pedro Martinez before leaving after five innings with a 5-4 lead. Instead, he’s off to California to join Team USA for drug testing and introductions early next week.
Mets manager Jerry Manuel said he hopes Martinez will be ready to start Friday night against Houston.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner has been on the bereavement list since his father, Pablo Jaime, died last week at age 79 after battling a form of brain cancer.
A’s recall Patterson
Infielder Eric Patterson was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and immediately inserted into the Oakland Athletics’ lineup against the Texas Rangers.
Patterson, obtained as part of the Rich Harden trade, hit .237 with one home run and seven RBIs in 13 games with the Cubs, had a .349 average with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 14 games for Sacramento.