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NEW YORK -- With games seeming to run longer each year, Major League Baseball on Wednesday asked teams to help enforce speed-up rules already on the books.
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A nine-inning game is averaging 2 hours, 51 minutes, 42 seconds this season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That's only 29 seconds longer than last season, but 5½ minutes longer than five years ago. In 1981, an average game took 2:33.
To help solve what is increasingly seen as a problem, baseball held a series of conference calls with each club's manager, general manager and in-game entertainment staff. All umpire crew chiefs were also involved.
Among the suggestions: Umpires should urge batters to approach home plate from the on-deck circle and enter the batter's box faster, and to enforce rules such as issuing an automatic strike to batters who linger outside the box.
In bases-empty situations, pitchers should be warned if they don't pitch within a 12-second time limit. Pitchers will be called for a ball for each subsequent violation.
In addition to those existing rules, conferences on the pitcher's mound will be broken up more quickly, and teams will be asked to have a reserve player or coach ready to catch warmup pitches if a catcher isn't ready.
Teams will also be fined for repeated violations of league rules for in-game entertainment, public address announcements and music and video presentations, such as running too long. Full story
Tigers' D-Train recalled, to pitch out of 'pen first
DETROIT -- The Tigers recalled pitcher Dontrelle Willis and placed reliever Clay Rapada on the 15-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis. Manager Jim Leyland said Willis will pitch out of the bullpen initially, and eventually return to the rotation. Right-hander Armando Galarraga -- the man who replaced him -- will remain in the starting rotation.
Willis, on the disabled list because of a hyperextended right knee since April 12, went 1-1 with 4.41 ERA in three rehab starts at Triple-A Toledo. He won his most recent start after allowing a run and five hits while striking out four in six innings Saturday at Columbus.
He came to the Tigers in an offseason trade along with slugger Miguel Cabrera, but has pitched just five innings for the club. He left during the first inning of his second start at Chicago after he slipped off the mound while delivering a pitch.
Rapada (2-0) appeared in 13 games after being recalled from Toledo on April 11. He had a 4.50 ERA in 10 innings.
Braves' Cox sees Smoltz back in two weeks
ATLANTA -- One day after John Smoltz said he would not set a timetable on his return from the disabled list, Braves manager Bobby Cox did the job for him.
Smoltz, 41, has been on the disabled list since April 29 with a sore right shoulder. He said he was still dealing with inflammation and discomfort after his two bullpen sessions last week but had better success on Tuesday.
Cox hinted Smoltz may not need another side session in Atlanta before beginning a minor league rehabilitation stint. Smoltz is 3-2 with a 2.00 ERA in five starts. He began the season on the disabled list with the sore shoulder and has been out more than three weeks on his second DL stint.
Smoltz plans to pitch out of the bullpen, probably as the team's closer, when he returns. He said pitching in relief should cause less stress to the shoulder.
Boston calls up Colon, demotes Masterson
BOSTON -- The Red Sox called up Bartolo Colon from Pawtucket and sent right-hander Justin Masterson to the Triple-A team. Colon, the AL Cy Young award winner in 2005, received the start against the Kansas City Royals.
The Red Sox signed Colon to a minor league contract in spring training after he became a free agent following four seasons with the Angels. He was 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA in 2005, but injuries limited him to 29 games the past two seasons.
The right-hander was 6-8 with a 6.34 ERA last season in 19 games, 18 of them starts. He was on the disabled list from July 24 to Sept. 9 with irritation in his right elbow. In his last appearance in 2007, he had two strikeouts in a scoreless relief inning on Sept. 29 against Oakland. In three rehab starts for Pawtucket, Colon was 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA.
Masterson was sent down after allowing one run in 6 1/3 innings of Tuesday night's 2-1 win over the Royals, his first major league decision. He had been recalled before the game because Boston needed a starter after playing a doubleheader Saturday.
Angels' Figgins activated; Aybar to DL
TORONTO -- The Angels activated infielder Chone Figgins off the 15-day disabled list, but saw infielder Erick Aybar land on the 15-day DL with a dislocated right pinky that is expected to sideline him for the next four weeks.
Third baseman and leadoff hitter Figgins has not played since injuring his hamstring sliding into home in a May 3 game against Baltimore. He felt good after working out Tuesday. The switch-hitting Figgins was batting .306 with no homers and seven RBI at the time of his injury and has hit safely in 27 of 32 games this season.
Aybar injured his hand in the first inning of Tuesday's game when he dove for a ground ball off the bat of Alex Rios, catching his pinky on the ground and coming up clutching his fingers in pain. Aybar visited a hand specialist, who confirmed no surgery will be required. Still, the Angels expect Aybar to miss four weeks while the finger heals.
Aybar is batting .270 with one home run and 16 RBI in 43 games.
Rangers designate German, recall Loe
MINNEAPOLIS -- Right-handed reliever Franklyn German was designated for assignment by Texas, which recalled right-hander Kameron Loe from Triple-A Oklahoma to take his place.
German had a 2.08 ERA in 21 2/3 innings and was out of options. The Rangers have 10 days to trade, release or outright the 28-year-old to the minors. German threw a career-high 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his last appearance, but he was the losing pitcher three consecutive times prior.
In 93 career games, Loe has started 47 times. He went 6-11 with a 5.36 ERA in 136 innings for the Rangers last season. Rookie Doug Mathis, who was roughed up in his first major league start, will remain in the rotation for now and take the mound Sunday at Cleveland.
Manager Ron Washington said the team preferred to keep Mathis and Josh Rupe, another right-handed reliever, on the roster rather than German.
D-Backs' cancer-free Davis to start Friday
MIAMI -- Arizona left-hander Doug Davis, who has been recovering from thyroid cancer surgery, will return to the rotation Friday at Atlanta, manager Bob Melvin said.
Davis' cancerous thyroid gland was removed April 10. He was declared cancer-free this month and rejoined the Diamondbacks for this week's series at Florida. Davis, who has missed 36 games this season, made two rehab starts for Triple-A Tucson.
Davis' cancer was discovered before the season, but he made two starts before undergoing surgery April 10. He is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA.
Davis went 13-12 last year with a 4.25 ERA. Melvin declined to say how the Diamondbacks will free a roster spot for Davis.
Nats seek more opinions on Kearns' elbow
WASHINGTON -- Outfielder Austin Kearns' sore right elbow doesn't seem to be getting any better, prompting Washington to seek second and third opinions. Kearns had an MRI exam on Tuesday, and the initial reading showed no tear or other serious problems. However, the Nationals are sending the results to two other doctors for more diagnoses.
Kearns, who has struggled all season, batting .187 with three homers and 16 RBI, missed his fourth consecutive game and could be headed to the disabled list.
General manager Jim Bowden said Kearns had loose fragments of bone floating in the elbow. It's possible the injury will require arthroscopic surgery, which would sideline Kearns for three to four weeks.
The news was slightly more upbeat for right-hander Shawn Hill, who skipped a start but remains confident he'll be back on the mound when his turn in the rotation comes up again on Tuesday. Hill had a cortisone shot and had fluid drained from his sore right elbow Saturday. He has also been dealing with a chronic nerve problem in the forearm.
Pedro visits ailing father in Dominican
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Pedro Martinez returned to the Dominican Republic to be with his sick father, delaying his plans to test his ailing hamstring.
Martinez had planned to rejoin the Mets for a bullpen session. But Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Martinez, intending to fly to Atlanta, left a flight in Miami after Martinez received word through an e-mail that his father, Pablo Jaime, sustained a medical setback Wednesday morning. Jaime, 78, has a form of brain cancer.
Martinez told the Associated Press that he doesn't know how long he will stay in the Dominican Republic.
Mets manager Willie Randolph said the trip to the Dominican Republic may not affect plans for Martinez to return before the end of the month, possibly for a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers from May 29-31.
