Baseball notebook: Dodgers make rare visit to Yankee Stadium
Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs.
Don Larsen pitching a perfect game.
Jackie Robinson sliding into Yogi Berra.
Dodgers vs. Yankees always conjures up World Series memories. Matchups in the regular season? Not so much.
Since interleague play began in 1997, the Dodgers have visited Yankee Stadium for just one day – they split a doubleheader in the Bronx in 2013. The N.L. West leaders open a three-game series Monday against the A.L. playoff contenders, with Los Angeles rookie Jose De Leon starting against Bryan Mitchell.
Birds in Beantown
Red Sox lefty David Price tries for his seventh straight win when he faces Baltimore at Fenway Park in a game full of playoff implications.
Boston leads the A.L. East while the Orioles and Toronto are tied two games back for the wild-card spots. Lefty Wade Miley starts for the O’s.
Cardinals activate shortstop
St. Louis has activated All-Star shortstop Aledmys Diaz from the disabled list. He missed 36 games after his right thumb was broken when he was hit by a pitch. Diaz was batting a team-best .312 with 14 homers and 57 RBIs in 96 games when he got hurt. The wild-card contenders host the N.L. Central-leading Cubs.
A’s release DH Butler, still owed $10 million next season
The Athletics have released designated hitter Billy Butler despite still owing him $10 million for next season.
The A’s made the move Sunday.
Last month, Butler went on the concussion disabled list after a clubhouse altercation with teammate Danny Valencia.
The 30-year-old Butler was in the second season of a three-year, $30 million contract. He was batting .276 with four home runs and 31 RBIs in 85 games this year.
“It was time to move on,” A’s general manager David Forst said. “The at-bats just weren’t there.”
Said manager Bob Melvin: “We wish him the best, but it just never ended up being a great fit here.”
Butler acknowledged frustration with a diminished platoon role in Oakland after playing every day most of his career. He believes he still has a lot to offer.
“You don’t have the type of at-bats I have in the big leagues with the type of success I have for not being able to hit both sides,” Butler said. “I feel I can bring that to a team at a championship level and I’ve proven that.”
Royals, OF Cain to decide in a week if he’ll be shut down
The Royals and Lorenzo Cain have agreed to wait a week before determining whether the outfielder will be shut down for the rest of the season because of his troublesome left wrist.
Cain returned from a seven-game absence Friday, but said he could basically only swing one-handed and hasn’t played since. He told Fox Sports Kansas City on Saturday he was likely finished for the season, while manager Ned Yost said the player was day to day.
The two met in Yost’s office before Sunday’s game against at the Chicago White Sox and then Cain said he agreed to hold off on a decision. Yost said Cain will see a hand specialist this week in Kansas City.
“Like what Skip said, wait a week and see what happens,” Cain said. “I’ve got to get back to KC. I’ve been rehabbing and trying to get my hand stronger. We were working last night as well with the trainers, doing exercises and getting stronger.”
Cain said a stem-cell injection into his hand late last month didn’t have the intended effect of strengthening the hand.
“It led to a little inflammation,” he said. “It’s something that we all agreed upon that it would help, and we all know that it didn’t work.”
The 2014 All-Star is hitting .287 in 103 games.
“I think if we can get it back to the point where I can just hold onto the bat when I swing, there’s a chance (of returning),” Cain said.
The 2015 World Series champions have dealt with a number of injuries this season. Cain also missed most of July with a hamstring injury.
“It’s never easy to lose one of your better players, and we’ve lost a few of them this year for extended periods of time,” Yost said. “You just move on and deal with it.”