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Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano, distraught over his shaky defense and a routine fly ball he dropped in Saturday’s loss to the Astros, has promised to eliminate the hop that accompanies every ball he catches.

Soriano received both boos and cheers from the Wrigley Field faithful, who obviously disliked his defensive lapse but welcomed his 2-for-4 effort at the plate.

"No, not hop," Soriano told the Chicago Tribune. "Just more concentration when I catch the ball and not do the hop. Sometimes when (I hop) I move my head. So I have to get routine fly balls, I have to make those plays."

Cubs manager Lou Piniella endorses his decision to stop the hop, a habit that has no redeeming value.

"We’ve talked about that in the past. All it can do is make your head bob and your eyes move and the ball flutter," Piniella told the paper. "It’s like catching a knuckleball. So if you can keep stable and catch it conventionally, I think it will help him, I really do."
 
But Piniella also said he’s more concerned about Soriano’s offense than his defense.

"We need Soriano to swing the bat, that’s the whole key," he told the paper. "We know he’s not going to win the Gold Glove in the outfield. Make the routine plays and swing the bat and we’re very, very happy."

CSNPhilly.com reports Phillies left-hander J.A. Happ might miss his next scheduled start, Wednesday in Atlanta, due to discomfort in his pitching forearm.

"He’s a little stiff," manager Charlie Manuel told beat writer Jim Salisbury on Saturday. Asked whether Happ would be ready for Wednesday, Manuel said, "It’s up in the air. We’ll know more in the next couple of days."

Happ declined to comment.

Salisbury speculates right-hander Nelson Figueroa could replace Happ. Salisbury doesn’t believe the Phillies would activate right-hander Joe Blanton from the disabled list next week.

Happ has not allowed an earned run in 10 1/3 innings this season, but his control has been spotty and, according to Salisbury, his velocity is down.

With the Angels carrying three catchers on their 25-man roster, the Los Angeles Times speculated the team could explore the option of trading one. Upset by his lack of playing time, No. 2 receiver Mike Napoli recently spoke with manager Mike Scioscia about his frustration.

The newspaper noted that Napoli’s bat (20 homers in 2008 and 2009) and salary ($3.6 million in 2010) make him attractive to other teams.

"You’re always looking at your club, your depth chart and other clubs’ needs," Scioscia told the newspaper. "Not that anyone is out there being shopped, but Tony (Reagins, Angels general manager) is constantly in contact with other GMs to see if there are things that can help us. That doesn’t mean anything is imminent, though."

Napoli told the Times that Scioscia cited Napoli’s defense for his reduced role. Starter Jeff Mathis is considered the better receiver, and he has gotten off to a hot start at the plate. No. 3 catcher Bobby Wilson rarely plays.

"It’s always the defensive part. I thought I made some strides in spring training," Napoli told the Times. "I guess I have to be better. … I haven’t played much. It caught me by surprise."

Napoli started Saturday’s Angels victory over Toronto. It was his fourth start season (in 12 games) and his second start in the past three days.

L.A. is the only big-league team to regularly carry three catchers.

Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine told Sirius XM radio that he doesn’t expect to manage the Mets this season.

With the team off to another slow start and with Valentine admittedly interested in managing again, speculation arose that he could replace Jerry Manuel in the dugout for New York.

"The Mets are 3-6. It’s nine games," Valentine told Sirius XM radio before the team lost Friday to fall to 3-7. "I mean, let’s not get crazy here. I think Jerry — I talked to him a few times during spring training — Jerry Manuel is up for the task."

Added Valentine: "You know, I think that (Manuel) has a tough row to hoe, there’s no doubt about it, and he’s got to keep his head above water until his center fielder (Carlos Beltran) comes back. And obviously he has to get that pitching staff in shape. But I don’t see that as being part of my future as we’re speaking here."

According to the Baltimore Sun, Orioles closer Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) is expected to miss at least three weeks.

Gonzalez was placed on the disabled list Wednesday. An MRI exam on his shoulder revealed no new damage, matching the team’s diagnosis of a strain.

Manager Dave Trembley told the newspaper that Jim Johnson likely will handle most of the team’s save opportunities.

Gonzalez notified Trembley on Tuesday night that he wasn’t available to pitch against Tampa Bay because he couldn’t get his shoulder loose in the bullpen. Gonzalez was examined Wednesday.

Gonzalez has blown two saves in three tries, and in his only converted opportunity he loaded the bases before getting the final out. The left-hander is 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA and has allowed five hits and four walks in only two innings.

He was signed as a free agent in December.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Amid rumors that the Cubs could release struggling outfielder Alfonso Soriano, general manager Jim Hendry told MLB Network radio that such a move never has been considered.

"Never been a thought to it. No. Those things are speculated by probably people in your profession, not ours," Hendry said.

Soriano batted .258/.281/.452 in his first 10 games this season, with a home run and two RBIs. Injuries have limited him to 109 and 117 games the previous two seasons. He is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $136 million contract. He is due $18 million a year though 2014.

Royals DH/outfielder Jose Guillen, who is off to a strong start this season, told the Kansas City Star that he nearly died last year from blood clots in his legs.

"I had to stay in St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City for 20 days (in the offseason) just lying in bed," Guillen said. "My legs were so big, so swollen up. They were purple. I couldn’t even walk on them. I couldn’t feel my legs."

Guillen said he was down to 180 pounds, had no strength and doubted he ever would play baseball again.

Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston has named Kevin Gregg his new closer, in place of Jason Frasor.

Frasor is 3-for-5 in save opportunities this season, while is Gregg 3-for-3, including a 1-2-3 inning Tuesday night against the White Sox.

"Just had a talk with them, just going to reverse the roles a little bit until Frasor can get back to where we think he should be," said Gaston before Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. "You can blow a save, you just don’t want to lose a game. That’s a short rope."

Frasor inherits Gregg’s former eighth-inning setup role.

What to expect in the major leagues today:

Scott Kazmir wants to pick up where he left off in the 2009 regular season.

Firsts in the finale

Before the Angels catch their flight to Toronto, they will wrap up their series at Yankee Stadium tonight. Left-hander Scott Kazmir, who began the season on the disabled list, will make his 2010 debut for Los Angeles. He will face Phil Hughes, who will make his first start since last May 31. Hughes won the spring competition to be the world champions’ fifth starter but has a 5.22 ERA in 28 career starts (compared to a 1.40 ERA in 44 relief appearances). As for Kazmir, the Angels hope he will perform like he did after they acquired him late last August (1.73 ERA in six starts), as opposed to how he pitched with the Rays before the trade (5.92 ERA in 20 starts).

Working out the wrinkles

Offseason acquisition Ben Sheets will make his third start of the season for Oakland tonight. Sheets has been decent after a year-long layoff, but he has had to pitch his way out of plenty of jams. The right-hander has allowed 21 baserunners in 14 innings and has a poor 7/4 BB/K ratio after two starts. Baltimore is in town tonight for the first of four games, meaning A’s fans will get their first look at former Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada since 2006. Tejada has hit more homers (83) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum than any other park during his 14-season major league career.

No mercy for Mets

The woes continue for the last-place Mets, who are in the third game of a 19-game stretch against teams that finished 2009 with winning records. This afternoon, they will finish a three-game series at Coors Field before heading to St. Louis. The good news for New York: Shortstop Jose Reyes is healthy and third baseman David Wright already has more homers than he did last April (one).

Chris Bahr is Sporting News’ baseball editor. E-mail him at cbahr@sportingnews.com.