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MIAMI -- Outfielder Jacque Jones, cut by Detroit two weeks ago, reached a minor league deal with the Florida Marlins on Monday and is expected to soon become their starting center fielder.
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Jones will first report to extended spring training in Jupiter, Fla.
In his 10th major league season, Jones hit .165 with one homer and five RBI in 24 games for the Tigers. He was in a 1-for-26 slump when Detroit designated him for assignment May 5. He is a career .278 hitter with 165 home runs.
Marlins center fielders are next-to-last in the majors with a .216 average. They have combined for three homers and 14 RBI.
Alfredo Amezaga has been the Marlins primary starter in center, but he's batting only .228. Florida would prefer to use him in a utility role.
Jones played for Minnesota from 1999-05, and was with the Chicago Cubs in 2006-07. He hit .285 with five homers and 66 RBI last year.
Nats place Belliard on DL
WASHINGTON -- Washington placed infielder Ronnie Belliard on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Friday, and plan to recall right-handed pitcher Chris Schroder from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.
Belliard has been bothered by a strained left calf.
"He was getting better, so he came out early and tried to run and test it, and he reinjured it," manager Manny Acta said.
Schroder has been back and forth between the minors and majors this season. He has made three appearances with the Nationals.
Pedro works simulated game
ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Pedro Martinez threw 4 1/3 innings of a simulated game and the Mets plan to have him throw a bullpen session Wednesday or Thursday in Atlanta.
Martinez, who has been out since straining his left hamstring April 1 in his only start of the season for New York, threw 77 pitches.
He previously threw 55 pitches in a simulated game on May 14.
A's place Murphy on DL, call up Braden
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Athletics placed infielder Donnie Murphy on the disabled list with a sore right elbow and recalled left-hander Dallas Braden from Triple-A Sacramento.
Murphy had started five consecutive games at second base in place of the injured Mark Ellis before missing Sunday's game in Atlanta with inflammation in his elbow. Murphy was hitting .200 with two homers and six RBI in 26 games.
Ellis took grounders, ran the bases and hit before Monday's game against Tampa Bay but was not in the starting lineup for a seventh consecutive game because of a strained left hamstring. He was available to play in an emergency and is "very close" to returning to the lineup, manager Bob Geren said.
Braden was 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in five relief appearances with the A's before being optioned to Sacramento on May 8. Braden made just one start following his demotion, throwing three scoreless innings for the River Cats on May 12.
M's recall outfielder Reed
SEATTLE -- Outfielder Jeremy Reed was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma by Seattle, filling the spot vacated when catching prospect Jeff Clement was sent down.
Reed will be making his first appearance in the majors this season. At one time, Reed was believed to be the Mariners' center fielder of the future after being acquired in a trade from the White Sox. However, he has struggled each of the last three years in his time up with Seattle, never hitting above .254, and eventually causing the team to move Ichiro Suzuki from right field to center. This season, Reed was hitting .349 with 11 doubles, six homers and 21 RBI in 38 games at Tacoma.
Seattle also claimed right-handed pitcher Tracy Thorpe off waivers from Toronto. Thorpe was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on May 10, despite going 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA and four saves at Triple-A Syracuse in the International League. Thorpe will report to Tacoma.
Clement was optioned to Tacoma after Sunday's game against San Diego. In 15 games with Seattle, Clement hit just .167, with two RBI, and went hitless in nine games. Clement hit .397 in his first stint with Tacoma.
Rockies' Wells optimistic for return
DENVER -- Colorado pitcher Kip Wells is optimistic he can be back within a month after recently undergoing surgery to remove blood clots in his pitching hand.
Wells had a three-inch scar on the inside of his upper right arm after Dr. Robert Thompson removed clots from his wrist by traveling down an artery with a wire during a four-hour procedure at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis on May 6.
The 31-year-old Wells said it beat the alternative -- having to slice open his hand. He noticed something wasn't feeling right with his hand as he got ready to enter a game at San Francisco on April 28.
Wells was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 29. He was 1-1 with a 2.29 ERA in 10 games, including one start. He's hoping to begin playing catch next week.
Biggio to coach high school team
HOUSTON -- Former Astros infielder Craig Biggio is set to become the head baseball coach at St. Thomas High School.
Biggio was an assistant baseball and football coach this year at the Houston school. Biggio's oldest son, Conor, plays baseball and football there.
The story was first reported by Houston television station KRIV. The Houston Chronicle said Biggio would be introduced at a Tuesday news conference.
The 42-year-old Biggio retired last year after 20 seasons with the Astros. He is the franchise leader in games played and finished with 3,060 hits, 20th on the career list.
Remembering teenage girl's strikeouts of Ruth, Gehrig
LOS ANGELES -- Jackie Mitchell, the minor league pitcher who struck out Babe Ruth during a 1931 exhibition game was no ordinary ballplayer. She was a 17-year-old girl.
And she struck out fellow New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig that same game, said Bruce Nash, executive producer of a TV show about Mitchell.
Mitchell was intended to be part of a publicity stunt for Tennessee's Chattanooga Lookouts "but she wanted to prove she belonged in a man's game," Nash said.
Her exploits were part of Nash's Amazing Sports Stories series, which debuted Sunday on FSN. The episode includes rare film footage of Mitchell pitching to Ruth, which Nash said a series researcher located at the Chattanooga Regional History Museum.
