Cards place RHP Isringhausen on DL

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(Ticker) - The St. Louis Cardinals will be without closer Jason Isringhausen for at least two weeks.

Isringhausen was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Cardinals before Wednesday afternoon's game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Isringhausen strained his right abdominal muscle in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Brewers and was replaced by lefthander Randy Flores, who recorded the final two outs for his first save. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa may use Flores, Julian Tavarez or Ray King in the closer's role in Isringhausen's absence.

Isringhausen showed no ill effects from offseason hip surgery, converting all seven of his save opportunities and allowing just one run in 8 1/3 innings.

Last season, Isringhausen tied the franchise record with 47 saves.

The Cardinals recalled lefthander Carmen Cali from Class AAA Memphis of the Pacific Coast League to replace Isringhausen on the roster.

 

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Cubs call up Novoa
April 27, 2005

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago Cubs recalled reliever Roberto Novoa from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, and sent down right-hander Jon Leicester.

Novoa was 1-1 with two saves and a 2.08 ERA in nine games at Iowa. The right-hander was acquired from the Tigers on Feb. 9 along with two minor leaguers for pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.

``He was impressive in spring training and they tell me he was impressive in Triple-A,'' Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. ``Eventually we think he has the stomach and the stuff to be a late-innings guy.''

Leicester was 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA in five relief appearances.

 

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Benitez placed on DL with right hamstring strain
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
April 27, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Giants closer Armando Benitez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained right hamstring after getting hurt on the final play of the game a night earlier.

Benitez broke to cover first base when San Diego's Geoff Blum hit a sharp grounder down the line to end San Francisco's 6-5 win Tuesday night. First baseman J.T. Snow dove to his left to snare the ball and flipped to Benitez, and the 6-foot-4, 240-pound pitcher began to favor the hamstring a step or two before reaching the base.

He had to be helped off the field. Benitez was undergoing an MRI exam Wednesday morning and was to be evaluated by several doctors throughout the day. Benitez (1-1), the powerful right-hander, blew his second save in six chances but got the win.

The Giants recalled right-hander Scott Munter from Triple-A Fresno to take Benitez's roster spot.

This is a big blow for the Giants, who finally had a reliable closer this season to replace Robb Nen, who retired this spring after failing to come back from a series of shoulder operations.

The 32-year-old Benitez signed a $21.5 million, three-year contract Nov. 30, giving the club an accomplished closer with the fourth best regular-season career save percentage.

Last year, Benitez bounced back from a subpar 2003 season to save an NL-best 47 games in 51 chances and lead major league relievers with a 1.29 ERA for the Florida Marlins. He struck out 62 batters in 69 2-3 innings pitched.

``Everybody else is healthy as can be,'' reliever Matt Herges said. ``It's too bad about Mando, but until he comes out we'll try to hold the fort down for him, like we did for Robb Nen a couple years ago.''

 

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RHP Schilling says he will go on 15-day DL with ankle injury


(Ticker) - The Boston Red Sox have lost the top of their rotation in a span of two days.

Righthander Curt Schilling announced on Wednesday that he will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bone bruise in his right ankle. The move will likely be retroactive to April 24, a day after Schilling allowed six runs and nine hits in seven innings against Tampa Bay.

No move has yet been announced by the team. Lefthander David Wells was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday due to a right foot injury.

Schilling, who was second in the American League Cy Young Award balloting after going 21-6 with a 3.26 ERA in 32 starts last year, began this season on the disabled list while recovering from right ankle surgery.

The 38-year-old Schilling made his season debut on April 13, allowing five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees. In three starts this season, he is 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA.

Wells, who started in place of Schilling against New York on Opening Day, injured his right foot while attempting to field a grounder in the fourth inning of an 8-4 loss to Baltimore.

With both Schilling and the 41-year-old Wells on the disabled list, Tim Wakefield becomes the most proven starter on the Red Sox. The 38-year-old Wakefield, who is 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA this season, is scheduled to start against the Orioles on Wednesday.

Schilling played a pivotal role in Boston's historic comeback in the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Yankees. Pitching with a bloodied sock after sutures were required to stabilize a tendon in his ailing ankle, Schilling turned in seven gutty innings as the Red Sox won Game Six, 4-2.

The Red Sox became the first team in major league history to win a playoff series after losing the first three games before sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games to win their first World Series since 1918.