Centrists

Although the Angels had held out hope that first baseman Kendry Morales (ankle) would be able to return late this season, the Los Angeles Times reported that won’t be the case.

Morales, injured in the now-infamous celebration after a walkoff grand slam on May 29, had surgery Thursday. The damage was extensive enough for doctors to rule out a return for Morales this season.

Morales, whose breakout 2009 season included a .306 average, 34 homers and 108 RBIs, leads the team a .290-11-39 stat line at the time of his injury. The team has withstood his loss thus far, going 9-3 without him.

The team is trying catcher Mike Napoli at first base, but the Los Angeles Times speculated the Angels could explore the trade market, with White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, Diamondbacks first baseman Adam LaRoche, Astros first baseman Lance Berkman, Orioles infielder Ty Wigginton, Indians first baseman Russell Branyon and Cubs infielder/outfielder Xavier Nady as potential targets.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams "almost came to blows in a heated shouting match" on Tuesday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The root of the dispute was the drafting of Guillen’s son, Ozney. Guillen believed the team let his son slip too far in the draft and was vocal about that. However, the newspaper noted that was just the latest incident in the ongoing drama between the manager and general manager during a disappointing season. And when speaking to the White Sox’s website, Williams didn’t deny that a rift has developed.

"We are both very competitive men, strong-willed men," Williams told the team’s website. "I believe in self-assessment, and I think you have to assess all parts of our operation from top to bottom to determine if it’s, in fact, still a productive working relationship.

"Whether or not the maintenance of that relationship is such that we still have the drive to get through some things and still have the drive to get through some differences … I’m still in that assessment mode for myself, in particular.

"That should not lead to the assumption that I mean that (Guillen) is the one (who may benefit from a change of scenery). If I determine that I am the one that is the cog in the machine, then I am the one who will stand in front of Jerry Reinsdorf and tell him so and step aside. … I will not deny that I am growing weary of the soap opera."

The second round of interleague play begins this afternoon when the Cubs host the White Sox in a series that certainly lacks some luster compared to previous seasons. Much of the intrigue will center around which veterans each team will try to deal before the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline.

You can make a case that Cubs-White Sox actually is the least appealing matchup of the weekend. The only other interleague series that pits two sub-.500 teams (Nationals-Indians) will involve rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg.

Despite a couple of clunkers, however, there are some appealing pairings. A look at this weekend’s five interleague matchups between teams at .500 or better:

Ben Francisco figures to see time at DH.

Phillies at Red Sox
Boston won two of three at Philadelphia during the first round of interleague play last month and leads the series 16-5 since 2004. As usual, both teams are in playoff contention this season, though neither would be in the postseason if the regular season ended today.

DH matters: With the DH in play at Fenway Park, Ben Francisco figures to benefit the most. Greg Dobbs, Ross Gload and Wilson Valdez also could get more playing time if the Phillies use the DH to rest Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.
Matchup to watch: Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. the Phillies’ hitters (Saturday). Philadelphia’s offense, which still isn’t up to par, nearly hit rock bottom when Dice-K held them without a hit for 7 2/3 innings on May 22 at Citizens Bank Park.
Interleague intrigue: The Red Sox’s .801 OPS during interleague play is the best in the majors since the interleague play began in 1997.

Braves at Twins
The NL East leaders will make their first visit to Target Field to take on the AL Central leaders. Both teams rank in the top 10 in ERA, but the pitchers will be put to the test with Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Troy Glaus and Jason Heyward, among others, ready to take their cuts.

DH matters: Nate McLouth is banged up after his collision with Jason Heyward in the outfield Wednesday, so he could handle the DH duties for Atlanta (if he doesn’t land on the disabled list). Either way, Eric Hinske should get more at-bats than usual. To reduce his wear and tear, Chipper Jones also could DH, with Omar Infante starting at third base.
Matchup to watch: Tim Hudson vs. Jim Thome (tonight). The Twins’ DH is 9-for-16 (.563) with four homers, four walks, nine RBIs and a 2.057 OPS against the Braves’ righthander in his career.
Interleague intrigue: The Twins’ 134 interleague wins are tied with the Yankees’ for the most all-time.

Angels at Dodgers One month ago, the Los Angeles teams were a combined six games under .500 and 8 1/2 games out of first place. The Dodgers will begin the freeway series with a one-game lead in the NL West, while the Angels are 1 1/2 games behind Texas in the AL West. The Angels and Dodgers have split the season series the past two years, but the difference this year could be pitching. The Dodgers’ staff ERA is more than a half-run better than the Angels’.

DH matters: Because of his balky knees, the Angels’ Hideki Matsui can’t play in the outfield on back-to-back days. But any playing time in left field will be an improvement over last season, when Matsui played solely at DH for the Yankees.
Matchup to watch: Jered Weaver vs. the Dodgers’ outfielders (Sunday). The righthander has a 2.94 ERA in six career starts against the Dodgers and a 0.55 ERA in three outings at Dodger Stadium. And he has had noteworthy success against Andre Ethier (2-for-14), Manny Ramirez (2-for-12) and Matt Kemp (2-for-7).
Interleague intrigue: The Dodgers’ .254 interleague batting average is the lowest in the majors.

Barry Zito faces his former team.

A’s at Giants
San Francisco’s anemic offense managed only one run in a three-game at Oakland in May, and both teams rank in the bottom third of the majors in runs scored. Pitching will dominate, and the team can get deliver the key late-inning hit will have the edge.

DH matters: Although he has gone deep only twice this season, Jack Cust led the A’s in homers in each of the previous three seasons. And his 229 RBIs in that span are 51 more than any of his Oakland teammates. Without the DH, Cust is unlikely to play all three games.
Matchup to watch: Barry Zito vs. his former team (Saturday). In four career starts against the A’s, Zito is 0-4 with an 8.85 ERA. That includes a six-run pounding he took at Oakland last month.
Interleague intrigue: The A’s 107 saves during interleague play are the most among major league teams.

Blue Jays at Rockies After a surprisingly strong start, Toronto is showing signs of fading, having lost five of its past eight games (and losing a couple of games in the AL East standings in the process). Colorado, which went 8-2 from May 22 through June 1, also has slumped recently, having lost three of four against last-place Houston this week and six of its past eight games overall.

DH matters: Adam Lind, who hit .305 with 35 homers and 114 RBIs in 2009, is struggling this season (.213-8-31). He most likely will be the odd man out, though he could get at least one start in the outfield at the expense of Fred Lewis.
Matchup to watch: Blue Jays hitters vs. Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez (Saturday). The NL Cy Young award front-runner has allowed only two homers this season. The Blue Jays have hit more homers (98) than any other major league team.
Interleague intrigue: The Rockies’ 5.14 ERA during interleague play is the worst in the majors.

Chris Bahr is a senior editor for Sporting News. E-mail him at cbahr@sportingnews.com.

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed free-agent righthander Jeff Suppan to a pro-rated minimum contract, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Suppan, a righthander starter, was released by the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week after he went 0-2 with a 7.84 ERA in 15 games (two starts) this season.

Suppan had success as a Cardinal from 2004-06, going 44-26 with a 3.95 ERA in 95 starts before signing with Milwaukee as a free agent. There is a chance he could join the Cardinals rotation next week. He was a starter during the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series championship and their 2004 National League title season.

Earlier Thursday, the Post-Dispatch reported Cardinals GM John Mozeliak had begun to search for rotation help. Other possible targets mentioned included Baltimore Orioles righthander Kevin Millwood and Kansas City Royals righthander Brian Bannister.

With starters Brad Penny (back) and Kyle Lohse (forearm) injured, the Cardinals have plugged inexperienced arms into the rotation.

Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:

STRIKE 1: Strasburg’s success will continue
Not that they are necessary, but here are two more reasons to believe Stephen Strasburg really is different:

There are two good reasons to believe Stephen Strasburg will live up to the hype.

• Just three years ago, the Rays made David Price the much-ballyhooed No. 1 pick out of Vanderbilt. A "poised-beyond-his-years" lefthander with a 99-mph fastball and nasty slider, Price lived up to the early hype when — in his first month in the majors — he saved Game 7 of the ’08 ALCS against the Red Sox.

Price’s progress hasn’t stalled. After beating the Blue Jays Wednesday, he is 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA, making him the only AL pitcher to rank in the top 10 in the majors in ERA. Last week, I asked a longtime scout who he would want to pitch Game 7 and Price made his short list (along with Ubaldo Jimenez at No. 1, Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson). No doubt, Price is well on the road to becoming one of the game’s top starters.

I asked another scout to compare Strasburg and Price, and he replied, "It’s really not that close. Strasburg is that good."

Two reasons: Strasburg’s command and his curve. Price, 24, pitches like the young starter he is, still working to master the ability to consistently throw quality strikes. Strasburg commands his secondary pitches as well as some command their fastball. While Price’s slider is considered a plus pitch, Strasburg’s 83-mph curve is plus-plus — especially when hitters have to remain focused on his high-90s fastball.

• Strasburg sells. Credit (or blame) the media for creating the massive buildup. The Indians, struggling on the field and at the gate, don’t mind. Strasburg’s second start is set for Sunday in Cleveland and tickets are so hot that Indians’ PR folks are sending out updates on sales. One of them: 2,000 tickets were sold Wednesday afternoon. Attendance in Washington went from 40,000-plus for Strasburg’s debut to sub-20,000 the next night. Also, TBS has switched its nationally televised Sunday broadcast to Nationals-Indians — as unlikely a national telecast as there is under normal circumstances.

Coincidentally or not, Washington chose an ideal time to call up its phenom. If Strasburg starts every five days, he will start four times at home and face only one quality offense — the Braves — before the All-Star break. Five of his first six likely opponents rank in the bottom half of the majors in runs scored: Pirates (30th), Indians (26th), White Sox (21st), Royals (19th) and Mets (18th).

The Nationals, however, figure to start rationing Strasburg’s appearances at some point. The club has set roughly a 100-inning cap on his major league season after he pitched 55 1/3 innings in the minors. If Strasburg averages six innings per outing, 17 more starts would put him right at his limit. "We’re looking long term," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says. "He’s pitching at 21 throughout the season and we’re going to be careful with him."

STRIKE 2: New-look All-Star rosters
Although the All-Star Game is more than a month away, we already can expect another onslaught of first-time participants. There might not be 26 like last year, but with rosters expanded again (to 34 per side) there will be no shortage of young, rising stars in Anaheim.

First-time shoo-ins include the Rockies’ Jimenez (the deserving starter), Braves right fielder Jason Heyward (who would be the first rookie voted in by the fans since 2008 — Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukodome), Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (his team’s most deserving player), Royals first baseman Billy Butler (with apologies to Zack Greinke and his 4.05 ERA), and Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier (who should have made the team in 2009).

Other strong possibilities for making their first-time appearance include Astros center fielder Michael Bourn, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw, Braves second baseman Martin Prado, Diamondbacks second baseman Kelly Johnson and Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson.

Unfortunately, one 13-time All-Star, Ken Griffey Jr., wouldn’t be allowed to play even if he benefited from the sentimental vote for his lifetime achievements and moved from third to first in the DH voting. "You have to be active," an MLB spokesman says.

Would instant replay have overturned one of baseball’s most famous plays?

STRIKE 3: A "no" vote on expanded replay
While most in the media continue to scream for more instant replay, Brewers manager Ken Macha remains opposed. He cites the "human element" and the time factor. "I have tickets to Pitt (football) and the games take four hours," he says.

Another reason: "Some of the most memorable plays in history have come on bad calls," Macha says.

Macha’s A’s were part of one in 2001 when Derek Jeter made one of the postseason’s most memorable plays with a flip toss to Jorge Posada, who tagged out a non-sliding Jeremy Giambi with the potential tying run. "I was there. Slow it down. He was safe," says Macha, then the A’s bench coach.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak has begun to scout for starting pitchers to help bolster a depleted rotation, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The newspaper speculated that some of the team’s targets could include free agent righthander Jeff Suppan, Orioles righthander Kevin Millwood and Royals righthander Brian Bannister.

The Cardinals reportedly prefers pitchers who have been active this season, as opposed to veterans like Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Braden Looper and Paul Byrd.

With righthanders Brad Penny (back) and Kyle Lohse (forearm) injured, the team has been forced to plug inexperienced arms into the rotation. Pitching coach Dave Duncan recently told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that youngsters P.J. Walters, Blake Hawksworth and Adam Ottavino aren’t yet qualified to serve as starters for a "championship team."

Despite his 94-pitch, 14-strikeout effort in his major debut Tuesday, Nationals rookie righthander Stephen Strasburg will be rested often after the All-Star break and will remain on an innings limit this season, according to The Washington Post.

"There will be a point where we just shut him down for a while or really minimize his innings," manager Jim Riggleman told the newspaper. "We want him to pitch in September, so some of that shutdown may be before September."

Strasburg has pitched 55 1/3 innings between the majors and minors this season, and the team plans to shut him down once he reaches 160 innings.

Riggleman admitted that innings limit still would be in play if the team were in playoff contention late in the season.

"That would be very hard," Riggleman told The Washington Post. "I hope we have to make that decision. That would be tough, but we want to make sure this young man is pitching for years to come."

Strasburg’s next start will be Sunday at Cleveland.

The Stephen Strasburg phenomenon continues to grow. The rookie right-hander will appear on CBS’s "Late Show With David Letterman" to deliver the show’s Top Ten list, MLB.com and The Washington Post report.

Strasburg dazzled the baseball world in his major league debut Tuesday, striking out 14 Pirates in seven innings. He is scheduled to make his next start Sunday in Cleveland against the Indians.

CHICAGO — White Sox general manager Ken Williams is done being patient.

After watching his team struggle during its current homestand, Williams is ready to look at options to improve the club.

"Some changes need to take place. I don’t know what and I don’t know when but some changes need to take place," Williams said before Wednesday night’s game against Detroit. "Things aren’t happening the way we envisioned and when they don’t happen as we envisioned we have to make an adjustment or two."

Chicago was 2-5 with two games remaining on the homestand. The White Sox began the day trailing first-place Minnesota by 9 1/2 games in the AL Central.

Williams made it clear he’s not ready to make drastic changes, but is still looking at his options.

"We’re not talking about tearing something down. If we do something, it would still be along the lines of reshuffling the deck with the expectation that we’re going to add impact guys that can help us win," he said.

A month ago, Williams had a hard time listening to other teams inquire about his players. But with the White Sox already nine games below .500, he has changed his stance.

"It is what it is. I have to listen. It’s not that I want to, but I’m not blind," Williams said.

With more than 100 games left to play, Williams is having a difficult time getting other teams to discuss potential trades.

"I guess I’m not so much on my own timeline as I am on other clubs’ timelines," Williams said. "Still early part of June and a lot of clubs are trying to figure their situations out and determine whether they’re in it or not in it, or what kind of money they have to spend. There are a lot of variables that go into the mix, so even if I want to do something it’s not always in my control."

Williams also is concerned with the play of second baseman Gordon Beckham. After a successful rookie season, when he hit .270 with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs, Beckham is batting just .199 in 51 games. Despite the struggles, Williams isn’t ready to demote him to Triple-A Charlotte.

"I spoke to him and just asked him to do one thing for me and that’s just to go back to being Gordon Beckham," Williams said. "Go back to his setup of last year. Free his hands up, take his hacks and not worry about contact as much as just putting a good swing and driving the ball, and he’s looked a lot better more recently. He looks a lot more like himself, but he will have to work out his issues for at least in the near future. As long as he has his confidence up and doesn’t start dragging his head then we will keep confidence in him."

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