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Your support makes all the difference.The news out of the Chicago Cubs' training camp wasn't exactly shocking: Another pitcher went on the disabled list.
That seemed to happen one or two times a week last season.
Ismael Valdes, scheduled to start the season opener against the New York Mets in Tokyo on March 29, was put on the DL Monday because of tendinitis in his right shoulder. He'll be eligible to come off April 5.
"I'm angry," Valdes said. "I'm not happy with the decision, but there's nothing I can do. I have to go with it. I don't want to make an issue out of it. It's what it is."
Valdes has had a sore shoulder the past few days, and manager Don Baylor said Saturday that Valdes might be done for the spring. Valdes started taking anti-inflammatories Sunday and the shoulder felt better by Monday morning.
"We just want to make sure we take care of it now and it's not an issue that moves into April and May and June," general manager Ed Lynch said.
With Valdes out, Jon Lieber will likely pitch the opener and Kyle Farnsworth the second game.
Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year, also figures to start the season on the DL as he recovers from reconstructive elbow surgery. Wood, who pitched for the first time last weekend, is expected back later in April.
Outfielder Glenallen Hill also appears headed for the disabled list after pulling his left hamstring Sunday. Doctors have said it could be two to three weeks before Hill is ready to play, manager Don Baylor said.
Sammy Sosa, meanwhile, sat out Monday's game and will skip Tuesday's because of a banged-up knee he got in a home-plate collision with Colorado Rockies catcher Scott Servais.
"It's swollen a little bit, but it's nothing we need to worry about," Sosa said. "Nothing big."
At Kissimmee, Florida, the Atlanta Braves said reliever Kerry Ligtenberg is expected to pitch as scheduled Tuesday despite getting hit in the face by a batted ball in Venezuela last weekend.
Ligtenberg, struck by a Quinton McCracken shot in Saturday night's game at Caracas, sustained a cut on his cheekbone and a bruise under his right eye.
"I honestly thought I had it," said the right-hander, coming off ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow.
At Jupiter, Florida, Mark McGwire hit a three-run homer but the Philadelphia Phillies overcame a seven-run deficit, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 on Tomas Perez's RBI single in the 10th inning.
McGwire made it 5-0 in the third inning with a three-run homer off Andy Ashby, McGwire's second of the spring and first since March 10. Ashby also allowed a two-run homer in the fourth to Ray Lankford and another two-run homer in the sixth to Shawon Dunston. In all, Ashby gave up seven runs and 11 hits in 5 1-3 innings. His ERA rose to 8.84.
In other games:
Marlins 7, Dodgers 6 At Melbourne, Florida, Cliff Floyd and Derek Lee hit three-run homers to overcome a Shawn Green home run. Los Angeles dropped to a major league-worst 4-15 this spring.
Royals 9, Tigers 4 At Haines City, Florida, Brian Moehler, scheduled to start the opener of Comerica Park in Detroit next month, gave up seven runs and 11 hits in four innings.
Twins 7, Red Sox 4 At Fort Myers, Florida, Ramon Martinez was roughed up for seven runs, five of them earned, on eight hits and a walk in 1 2-3 innings. Nomar Garciaparra, Mike Stanley and Carl Everett homered for Boston.
Mets 4, Indians 2 At Port St Lucie, Florida, Glendon Rusch, fighting for the fifth spot in the Mets' rotation, allowed one run and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. New York released third baseman Charlie Hayes.
Athletics 16, Padres 6 At Phoenix, Olmedo Saenz hit a grand slam and David McCarty hit two home runs and drove in six runs. Ramon Hernandez also hit two homers and drove in three runs for the A's, who have the best record in the majors this spring at 14-3.
White Sox 5, Mariners 1 At Peoria, Arizona, White Sox starter Jon Garland, who spent last season at Double-A Birmingham and Class A Winston-Salem, allowed three hits in five shutout innings.
Angels 9, Giants 8 At Scottsdale, Arizona, Garrett Anderson hit a pair of two-run homers and Troy Glaus had a go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth inning as Anaheim rallied from a 6-0 deficit.
Cubs 12, Brewers (ss) 7 At Mesa, Henry Rodriguez hit two home runs and drove in four runs. Julio Zuleta, Damon Buford and Ricky Gutierrez also homered for the Cubs.
Diamondbacks 8, Brewers (ss) 6 At Tucson, Arizona, Turner Ward had a pair of home runs and four RBIs. Randy Johnson allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1-3 inning with six strikeouts. In his previous start, he was pounded for 11 runs and 12 hits in three-plus innings against Anaheim.
Rangers 6, Reds 3 At Sarasota, Florida, Ken Griffey Jr drew the flashbulbs and another big gate, but Chad Curtis got the big homer for Texas.
Pirates 5, Yankees 1 At Tampa, Florida, Kris Benson allowed two hits in six shutout innings and Kevin Young had a two-run double for Pittsburgh.
New York lost for the 10th time in its last 11 games.
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