Willits was removed from the disabled list on Wednesday, but the Angels lost 6-5 to visiting Oakland.
Analysis: Willits had been out since Aug. 8 with a pair of concussions that resulted from an outfield collision with Gary Matthews Jr. and head-first slide into home plate. He didn't have an at-bat on Wednesday, though the season has been a struggle for Willits, who spent time in the minor leagues and is batting .185 in limited at-bats.
The Angels were without Figgins for Wednesday's 6-5 home loss to Oakland due to a sore left big toe, according to the team's official Web site.
Analysis: Figgins, who is listed day-to-day, has also been limited to 94 games this season due to a variety of hamstring injuries. The second baseman, who has gone 11-for-27 (.407) with two RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak, is batting .284 with 19 RBIs overall.
Kendrick came out of Wednesday's game versus Oakland after feeling tightness in his left hamstring advancing to second on Mark Teixeira's hit.
Analysis: Sean Rodriguez replaced Kendrick and struck out with two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning. Kendrick is listed day-to-day with this injury, which also sidelined him for nearly two months earlier in the year. According to the Angels' official Web site, losing Kendrick for any amount of time could be difficult as the team has already lost Maicer Izturis for the year (torn tendon in left thumb) and was without Chone Figgins (sore left big toe) on Wednesday.
Hamilton, who leads the major leagues with 116 RBIs, was a late scratch from the Texas Rangers lineup against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night because of an abscessed tooth.
Analysis: Hamilton, who is hitting .298 with 29 home runs this season, was replaced by rookie Brandon Boggs in the lineup. Boggs led off the Texas fourth with a home run.
The Braves signed Dessens for the remainder of the season on Wednesday, and is expected to be added to the 25-man roster later this week.
Analysis: The 37-year-old Dessens is 48-61 with a 4.50 ERA in 11 seasons, but spent this season in the Mexican League after Pittsburgh released him in March. In 20 games with Mexico City, the right-hander was 10-2 with a 4.03 ERA. Atlanta will be the ninth stop in the majors for Dessens. He went a combined 2-2 with a 7.15 ERA in 17 games last year with Milwaukee and Colorado.
The Braves recalled Anderson from Triple-A Richmond after trading Mark Kotsay to Boston on Wednesday.
Analysis: Anderson, acquired in an offseason trade that sent reliever Oscar Villarreal to Houston, was hitting .315 with 41 stolen bases at Richmond. He has hit .318 (7-for-22) with a triple and two RBIs in 11 games with the Braves.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore said he met with Guillen after the outfielder confronted a heckling fan Tuesday night. Guillen had to be restrained by catcher Miguel Olivo, third-base coach Luis Silverio and others when a fan down the right field line harassed him in the fourth inning of a 2-1 loss to Texas. "Jose has got to remain focused to what happens on the baseball field," Moore said Wednesday.
Analysis: This is Guillen's fourth public outburst this season. He has called his teammates "babies" during a 12-game losing streak in May, made profanity-laced comments in June saying he could "care less about" fans who were booing him, and had to be separated from pitching coach Bob McClure on July 5 in a clubhouse confrontation in Tampa Bay. Guillen, who is the highest paid Royal in history at $12 million a year, is in his first season with Kansas City.
Beckett said he still plans to pitch Friday night against the Chicago White Sox after skipping a turn in the rotation because of numbness and tingling in his right arm.
Analysis: Beckett didn't face the New York Yankees on Tuesday after skipping a bullpen session Saturday because of continued numbness and tingling in his pitching arm. "Just day to day. We're going to keep checking. Be smart with it," Beckett said, adding that he appreciates the Red Sox being cautious with him. "We're not talking about the end of a season, we're talking about the end of a career when you're dealing with a pitcher's arm."
The Phillies designated Tracy for assignment on Wednesday after calling up pitcher Andrew Carpenter from Double-A Reading before their game against the New York Mets.
Analysis: Tracy's contract was purchased from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday after the team placed outfielder Geoff Jenkins on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hip flexor. The 34-year-old Tracy was 0-for-1 with a walk in two plate appearances with the Phillies.
The Phillies called up Carpenter from Double-A Reading before their game Wednesday night against the New York Mets.
Analysis: Infielder Andy Tracy was designated for assignment to make room for Carpenter on the roster. Carpenter was 6-8 with a 5.67 ERA in 16 starts at Reading. He'll be used out of the bullpen in Philadelphia.
The Rangers announced Wednesday that Ellis has cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma.
Analysis: Ellison, who was designated for assignment on Monday after the Rangers recalled Nelson Cruz from Oklahoma, was 3-for-13 (.231) with two RBIs in nine games with Texas.
Nippert will start for the Rangers on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels as he takes Vicente Padilla's turn in the rotation. Padilla will miss his scheduled start due to inflammation in the muscle joint between the neck and shoulder.
Analysis: Nippert is 1-3 with a 7.83 ERA, and his only start among 15 appearances this season was in Padilla's place Aug. 17. He took the loss, giving up seven runs on eight hits, including two home runs, in four innings in Tampa Bay's 7-4 victory. However, his longest and best outing of the year was July 7 against the Angels, when he allowed one run on four hits in seven innings of a 9-6 Texas loss.
Padilla will miss his scheduled start Friday against the Los Angeles Angels with inflammation in the muscle joint between the neck and shoulder.
Analysis: Padilla, who leads the Rangers with 12 victories and has a 4.98 ERA in 25 starts, couldn't throw bullpen sessions Tuesday or Wednesday. Manager Ron Washington said the Rangers are not planning to put Padilla on the disabled list, instead hoping he can make his next scheduled start Sept. 3 against Seattle. Plus, rosters can expand to 40 on Monday. Dustin Nippert is expected to take Padilla's turn in the rotation.
Johnson gave up three runs in seven innings of Arizona's 5-4 loss to San Diego on Wednesday.
Analysis: Johnson was sharp through six innings, giving up just two hits and not allowing a baserunner past second base. But he allowed three runs in the seventh, including rookie Nick Hundley's two-run homer, and failed to get career win No. 295. He's 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 21 innings spanning three starts since his last victory Aug. 12.
Gerut continued his hot month with three hits in the Padres' 5-4 win over Arizona on Wednesday.
Analysis: Gerut, who singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning Wednesday, is batting .322 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 23 games in August.
Marquis held Pittsburgh to five hits in seven innings of a 2-0 win on Wednesday.
Analysis: Marquis has won three straight decisions with a 3.75 ERA over that four-start stretch. Opponents are batting .228 against him in those games.
Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.
Analysis: The rookie left-hander went 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 10 appearances with the Cardinals. He allowed three runs in one inning in Tuesday's 12-0 loss to the Brewers, and will return to the rotation for the end of the minor league season. "He needs to go back and pitch some," manager Tony La Russa said.
The Cardinals purchased Phelps' contract from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.
Analysis: Phelps, 30, was batting .291 with 31 home runs and 97 RBIs, tied for third-best in the Pacific Coast League. He had 64 extra-base hits, tied for second in the league, but had been stuck in the minors because his best position is first base where the Cardinals have Albert Pujols. The Cardinals are likely to use Phelps, a right-handed hitter, primarily as a pinch hitter, although he could be used at the corner outfield spots and third base as well as first base.
The Orioles activated Aquino from the disabled list Wednesday - and then promptly designated him for assignment.
Analysis: The 30-year-old Aquino had a 12.54 ERA in nine games with Baltimore before a hamstring strain forced him onto the DL on July 13. He was claimed off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers in December 2007.
Cabrera is feeling discomfort in his forearm, and although an MRI showed no damage, Baltimore manager Dave Trembley is considering moving back the struggling pitcher in the starting rotation.
Analysis: Cabrera's fastball lacked its usual velocity in a lackluster performance Sunday against the New York Yankees. He was examined by the team orthopedist Monday and received an MRI on his right arm Tuesday. Trembley said Wednesday that the MRI came back clean, but Cabrera still may miss his scheduled to start against Tampa Bay on Saturday. Cabrera, who gave up seven runs in 3 2-3 innings Sunday, has seen his ERA balloon from 4.33 to 5.24 since the All-Star break.
© 2008 by STATS LLC.
