News Served Cold

Busy day yesterday, with a lot of little moves going on. Here's the Bucco's news of the past 36 hours:

-- Jeff Karstens has rejoined the team, but isn't active yet after his bereavement leave. His grandma passed away last week. EDIT - Karstens was placed on the 15 day DL because of a lower back sprain.

-- Ronny Cedeno is still day-to-day with his broken finger; he's gonna try to get back in the saddle tonight. EDIT - He was a late scratch; Luis Cruz gets the call again.

-- Jose Ascanio is supposed to throw this weekend. How his shoulder responds will go a long way towards determining if he'll pitch in September or get shut down.

-- Jeff Salazar cleared waivers and has returned to Indy, although he's off the 40-man roster now after being DFA'ed.

-- Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette says the US team has invited three Pirates: 3B Pedro Alvarez and RHP Dusty Molleken of Altoona, along with Indy RHP Daniel McCutchen.

-- State College Spikes' LHP Mike Felix, a second-round draft pick in 2006, was benched after blowing a .19 after a DUI stop.

-- The Pirates will send a half-dozen puppies to soak up the sun in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions: outfielder Jose Tabata, shortstops Brian Friday and Chase D'Arnaud, and LHPs Donnie Veal, Danny Moskos and Tony Watson. Veal will start while Moskos and Watson will pitch out of the bullpen. The Pirates are expected to add one more pitcher from their system to the roster.

Jeff Banister, the Pirates' minor league field coordinator, will manage the team. The AFL season runs from October 13th through November 21st, the date of their championship game. Should be an interesting league; the Nats are sending Steve Strasburg to pitch in it.

-- Curtis Pashelka of the Silicon Valley Mercury News reports that:

Still hampered by the strained left shoulder he suffered shortly after he was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Freddy Sanchez was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Giants on Tuesday. The move is retroactive, and the veteran second baseman said he hopes to play as soon as he's eligible to return on Sept. 2.

It's the first time Sanchez has been on the DL since the start of the 2004 season, when he missed the first three months after having a bone spur removed from his right ankle.

"It just one of those deals where I apologize to the fans, to the organization and to my teammates and everybody," said Sanchez, who played in 13 of a possible 25 games since being acquired for prized pitching prospect Tim Alderson. "I got traded here for a reason and that was to play. Like I said, I've always taken a lot of pride in going out and playing every game, and for me not to be out there hurts.''

There goes $8.1M.

-- Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that:

Center fielder Nate McLouth (strained hamstring) likely will rejoin the Braves on Monday, when he’s eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list. He’s eager.

“Heck, yeah, especially with the way the team is playing and the way things are starting to shape up with the standings,” he said. “The only meaningful games I ever played in September were in high school football.”

Before his years in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, McLouth was a quarterback at Whitehall High School in Michigan.

-- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News reports that:

Now, with Cincinnati pitchers falling like flies swatted by grandma in her rocker — Aaron Harang (appendectomy), Edinson Volquez (Tommy John surgery), Johnny Cueto (stiff right shoulder) — it is desperate measures for desperate times.

Hence, Kip Wells — called up August 10 to work out of the bullpen and used only three times in 15 days, (will start).

What it amounts to is that the Reds are skipping Micah Owings (6-12, 5.52 in 19 starts), who pitched Friday in Pittsburgh.

-- Jack Wilson is finally back for Seattle. He missed 12 games, dating back to August 12th, with a hammy injury.