The relentless campaign by major-league pitchers to prove that their fraternity is, basically, made of glass got a boost from the Chicago Cubs' Ryan Dempster on Sunday.
The righthander broke his right big toe climbing out of the dugout. He could be out a month.
"It's a weird thing," Dempster told reporters. "Three days before that, I took a ball off the shin and kick-saved one to myself. And I took a ball off my face in batting practice, off the cage, and I was just fine. And then something as simple as that happens, and I put myself on the DL."
No end in sight for the Mets
New York shortstop Jose Reyes got a cortisone shot for pain in his right leg, and centerfielder Carlos Beltran will need a rehabilitation assignment once the bone bruise below his right knee subsides. Both remain on the DL.
Also, first baseman Carlos Delgado is just starting to swing off a tee after hip surgery May 19. Righthander John Maine, out since June 6 because of shoulder pain, is still limited to throwing on flat ground. Setup man J.J. Putz hasn't started throwing since surgery June 9 to remove a bone spur from his right elbow, and closer Billy Wagner won't return until the final month, if then.
New York (39-42) had lost eight of 10 games entering last night's game against the Los Angeles Mannys, er, Dodgers.
Couldn't happen to a nicer fan group, could it?
Still Twittering
St. Louis manager Tony La Russa dropped his lawsuit against the social-networking site Twitter Inc. A one-paragraph statement filed June 26 with the U.S. District Court in San Francisco said that La Russa had dropped all claims - and that San Francisco-based Twitter did not compensate him in exchange. It also said he could not refile the same complaint.
La Russa declined to discuss specifics of the case. His lawsuit had claimed an unauthorized page that used his name caused emotional distress by making light of his DUI charge and the deaths of two Cardinals pitchers in recent seasons.
Noteworthy
Arizona sent righthanded reliever Tony Pena to the Chicago White Sox for minor-league infielder Brandon Allen. Pena was 5-3 with a 4.24 ERA in 37 games for the Diamondbacks this season and was 16-13 with a 4.08 ERA in 209 games with Arizona. Allen, 23, was a fifth-round draft pick in 2004. . . . Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario was sent back to Los Angeles for tests on his painful right elbow. . . . The Cardinals placed newly acquired utility man Mark DeRosa, the former Penn quarterback, on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 1, because of a strained left wrist. The Cards also recalled infielder Brian Barden and outfielder Nick Stavinoha from Memphis and sent infielder Tyler Greene to the triple-A team. . . . Atlanta held Chipper Jones out of the starting lineup last night, a day after he strained his right groin in a game against the Cubs. The 37-year-old third baseman said he will miss no more than one or two games.
Contact staff writer Don McKee at 215-854-4611
or dmckee@phillynews.com
.
This article contains information from the Associated Press.
