Seattle releases Ramirez
The Seattle Mariners released pitcher Horacio Ramirez on Wednesday, giving up on the underperforming left-hander they acquired in a trade 15 months ago.
Seattle got Ramirez from Atlanta for reliever Rafael Soriano before last season. The 28-year-old Ramirez then went 8-7 with a 7.16 ERA in 20 starts and spent nearly two months on the disabled list because of a sore shoulder.
Last month’s trade for ace Erik Bedard and the off-season signing of free-agent starter Carlos Silva left Ramirez in a short-lived spring training battle with R.A. Dickey for a job as a long reliever.
“Seattle’s 38-year-old left-hander Arthur Rhodes pitched a perfect inning in his first outing since last March to help the M’s post a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in spring training action in Peoria, Ariz.
The former Oakland closer, who had ligament replacement surgery on his pitching elbow last May, left the field to a rousing ovation from the crowd and his teammates after appearing in a game six weeks ahead of doctors’ estimates.
Silva, signed to a $48 million, four-year contract to be Seattle’s No. 3 starter, allowed seven singles but no runs in five innings. Ichiro Suzuki, who is 0 for 21 this spring, did not play.
Yankees, Rays brawl
Both benches cleared during the second inning of a spring training game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., leading to the ejections of two players and two coaches.
The benches cleared after New York’s Shelley Duncan slid into Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura with spikes raised.
Duncan, thrown out by at least 10 feet, was tossed out of the game as was Tampa Bay’s Jonny Gomes. Yankees third base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long were ejected.
The Rays won the game 7-6.
“Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte was scratched from his start against Tampa Bay because of irritation in his left elbow.
Clearing the bases
Major League Baseball has taken no steps to discipline players mentioned in the Mitchell Report since the detailed account of drug use was released three months ago. That makes it increasingly unlikely players will be punished before opening day. … Milwaukee Brewers general manager Gord Ash confirmed that center fielder Mike Cameron has applied for a medical exemption to use amphetamines. Cameron believes he could still be suffering aftereffects of an outfield collision in 2005 with former New York Mets teammate Carlos Beltran. … The Toronto Blue Jays lost pitcher Casey Janssen for the season with a shoulder injury. The right-hander has a torn labrum. … Houston Astros right-hander Felipe Paulino will miss at least a month because of a pinched nerve in his upper right arm. … Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Tony Abreu flew to Philadelphia to see a sports hernia specialist who performed surgery on him in October. Abreu has been out because of a pulled muscle in his right buttocks, which is thought to be a lingering effect of the surgery performed by Dr. William Meyers. … Juan Lara, critically injured in a November car crash in the Dominican Republic, was released by the Cleveland Indians, who then re-signed him to a minor league contract so his medical expenses will be covered.