ST. LOUIS -- For 21-year-old rookie Jose Altuve, his first road trip in his Major League career has been an interesting experience. Marathon bus rides and budget hotels have given way to charter flights and luxury hotels, not to mention playing at notable ballparks like Wrigley Field and Busch Stadium.            &nb sp;    "This is my first time here in St. Louis and the same thing in Chicago," Altuve said prior to Monday's game at Busch. "I watched those fields on TV a lot of times, and it's like, 'Wow, now I'm playing here.' We're taking airplanes and staying authentic Reggie Jackson jersey White in the nicest hotels. Everything is pretty good."            &n bsp;    Another benefit to playing in the Major Leagues for Altuve is that his family back home in Venezuela has been able to watch him play on television. That wasn't the case when Altuve was plugging away at Class A Lancaster and Double-A Corpus Christi before being called up.            &nb sp;    "It was hard for them to watch my games in the Minor Leagues, but Phil Rizzuto official jersey now they can watch me play here," he said. "That's authentic Phil Hughes jersey Grey something that's very good."            &n bsp;    Altuve said his family is planning to come watch him play in person at some point next year.            &nb sp;                         &nb sp;        Mills sits Wallace Reggie Jackson official jersey against right-hander          &nb sp;     ST. LOUIS -- The lineup card turned in by Astros manager Brad Mills on Monday raised a few eyebrows when Brett Wallace wasn't at first base against the Cardinals. Carlos Lee got authentic Phil Hughes jersey White the start at first base, with Jason Bourgeois starting in left for his first start since June 28.            &nb sp;    Wallace, a left-handed bat, has routinely sat against left-handers but not against right-handers. The Cardinals started righty Kyle McClellan on Monday. Wallace has been struggling at the plate the past month, and Mills authentic Randy Winn jersey White said he's going to pick and choose pitching matchups in the immediate future that give Wallace the best chance to be successful.            &nb sp;    "I spent most of the day looking at a lot of video with him and some of our other hitters, and just looking at their approach against certain pitchers and just trying to match those up a little bit," Mills said. "He's still real young as far as his authentic Phil Rizzuto jersey White baseball age goes, so I think going forward [this is a plan for] the very near future -- I don't think it's going to happen the rest of the year -- and what I mean by that is maybe a week, maybe two weeks, and see how that works out. It might not work out very well."            &n bsp;    Robinson Cano official jersey Wallace entered Monday hitting .182 (16-for-88) since June 18, dropping his batting average to .279 from .318. He's hitting .211 against left-handed pitchers and .294 against right-handers. Wallace has shown a penchant for hitting to the opposite field, and Mills would like to see him pull Randy Winn official jersey more balls.            &nb sp;    "How many times have we heard that you want hitters to go the other way because that's the hardest thing to learn -- how to stay inside a ball and go the other way?" Mills said. "Well, at some point, you really need to learn how to pull authentic Robinson Cano jersey Grey the ball as well. We're trying to work with Brett on that."

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LOS authentic Mickey Mantle jersey White ANGELES -- Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, the subject of increasing trade authentic Mickey Mantle jersey Grey speculation, had not been asked to waive his no-trade clause authentic Mark Teixeira jersey Black for any authentic Mark Teixeira jersey White specific club as of Monday. "I haven't talked to Ned [Colletti, general manager] or my agent or had any meeting in recent days," said Kuroda, who would need to approve any assignment. "I haven't heard anything from anybody." Colletti, who met with Kuroda last week and told him he would keep the pitcher informed, said Monday that no deal is imminent. The non-waiver Trade Deadline is Sunday. Kuroda's next start -- and possibly last for the Dodgers this year -- is Wednesday night. He said he's aware of the rumored destinations (the clubs most frequently mentioned are Detroit, Cleveland, Texas and the Yankees), replica Mark Teixeira jersey Blue but again wouldn't speculate on whether he would approve a deal. "I haven't put a lot of thought into it," authentic Nick Swisher jersey Grey he said. Kuroda, who signed a one-year, $12 million deal for this year, said a midseason trade of a veteran like him is rare in his native Japan and would be viewed there as a sign that a team had given up on the player. "But I've been here three seasons and understand that this happens here and isn't a negative," he said. Colletti said he told Kuroda that the Dodgers are interested in having him return next year, whether or not he's traded. "This [a trade] is a totally separate issue from next year," said Kuroda. Kuroda is not the only Dodger available because of upcoming fee agency. Infielder Jamey Carroll is another and has been rumored to draw interest from Milwaukee, among other clubs, although Kuroda clearly should bring the Dodgers the most in return. They need top prospects or Major League-ready young players. Other tradable upcoming free agents that have not been mentioned in rumors are setup reliever Mike MacDougal, shortstop Rafael Furcal and catchers Rod Barajas and Dioner Navarro. MacDougal, a former closer who is owed less than $200,000 this year, would seem to be a bullpen upgrade for many contending teams. Furcal, although he's had a authentic Nick Swisher jersey White tough injury-plagued season and is still owed roughly $3 million, is finally starting to look like he's healthy. The Dodgers have some concern for September, when Dee Gordon is likely to be called up to play shortstop every day, sending Furcal to the bench at a time Nick Swisher official jersey when he'll want to play to prove his value to other teams for next season. Mickey Mantle official jersey Furcal could veto a trade as a 10-and-5 veteran. Barajas and Navarro have Phil Hughes official jersey struggled offensively, but both have been solid defensively. Indications are that other clubs have yet to show interest in any of them.

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ATLANTA -- Matt Diaz spoke up a little more than usual in Monday's pre-series scouting team meeting, and well, he should have. Nowhere is Diaz more familiar than here at Atlanta's Turner Field, and no opponent does he know this well.Diaz signed a two-year deal with the Pirates this offseason following a string of five years with the Braves. He's played behind all four starting pitchers the Braves will send to the mound this week, and he offered information authentic Mariano Rivera jersey White and observations about the four to his Pittsburgh teammates before the start of a key road series."I got to sit on the bench a fair bunch and watch their pitchers over the last few years," Mark Teixeira official jersey Diaz said. "I have seen approaches that work better than others against them and hopefully I can give some espionage secrets."Though Diaz has played 252 of his 634 career games at Turner Field, Monday marked his first stop over to the visitor's clubhouse. The return was a welcome one for Diaz, who was a fan and media favorite in Atlanta for years. He got a good chuckle, too, when a bellman at the team hotel came up to him on Sunday night and said, "You used to be Matt Diaz with the Braves." Diaz jokingly assured the man that while he may a wear different uniform, he hasn't changed his identity."I had a good relationship with the fans here," Diaz said. "I came in as an unknown and it took a while to win them. This was a positive chapter in authentic Mariano Rivera jersey Red our life. I'm definitely glad we're on the next chapter, but we definitely enjoyed the chapter that was here."It's going to be a lot of fun for me to be back here, but I have to remember why we're here, and that's to win baseball games and get closer to our ultimate goal."            &n bsp;             ;            &n bsp;        Presley to DL with left thumb contusion                 ATLANTA -- The Pirates placed outfielder Alex Presley on the 15-day disabled list on Monday with a left thumb contusion and recalled third baseman Pedro Alvarez from Triple-A to take Presley's spot on the 25-man roster.Presley, who did not travel with the team to Atlanta, had noted that the injury had to do with a nerve issue in his thumb. The Pirates' inability to determine a timeline on how long Presley might be sidelined forced the club to make the roster move."We're really not in a position to play short," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Obviously, we're going to need to add more offense since one of our more offensive players has just been put on the DL."The timing is, of course, not ideal for Presley, who was faring well and earning everyday playing time with replica Mariano Rivera jersey Blue the Pirates. Since being promoted to Pittsburgh on June 28, Presley had hit .333 with eight extra-base hits, nine RBIs, four stolen bases and 12 runs scored in 20 games. Also, he was a natural fit to fill the Pirates' need for a leadoff hitter.With Presley out indefinitely, the Pirates still have five outfielders to shuffle around. Xavier Paul filled in for Presley in left and in the leadoff spot on Monday. While Andrew McCutchen will obviously continue to play every day, Hurdle will mix-and-match with Paul, Steve Pearce, Matt Diaz and Garrett Jones in the two corner outfield spots.The loss of Presley could also heighten the Pirates' attempts to nab a corner outfielder before Sunday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline.            &nb sp;                         &nb sp;        authentic Mariano Rivera jersey Black No timetable for Ohlendorf's return from DL            & nbsp;   ATLANTA -- The Pirates remain authentic Mark Teixeira jersey Grey mum on a timeline for Ross Ohlendorf's return, though he is taking encouraging steps forward in his return from a right shoulder posterior strain.Ohlendorf threw 69 pitches (44 strikes) in a 4 2/3-inning appearance for Double-A Altoona on Sunday. It marked Ohlendorf's third rehab start, but first above the Class Mariano Rivera official jersey A Advanced level. Though the righty gave up two earned runs on five hits, he showed crisp command, particularly against right-handed hitters, and maintained his velocity throughout the start. His slider was also sharp.He will throw a bullpen authentic Mariano Rivera jersey Grey session on Tuesday, after which the Pirates will determine the next step for Ohlendorf."My arm Lou Gehrig official jersey felt good," said Ohlendorf, who was placed on the disabled list the second week of the season. "The two months in Florida weren't very fun. I feel good now and I feel like I have been able to work on some things that will both help me stay healthy and help with my command."Those include both mechanical and mental adjustments. Mechanically, Ohlendorf has lowered his arm slot and lessened his head movement in an effort to reduce the strain on his right shoulder, which has now had injury issues for two seasons. On the mental side, Ohlendorf has returned with the intent of pitching more to contact. "The mentality of not pitching to contact really hurt me in Spring Training," said Ohlendorf. "I was trying to get swings and misses instead of letting them put it in play."Though the Pirates are stretching Ohlendorf out to be a starter, there might not be room for him in the rotation when he is ready to return. Jeff Karstens assumed Ohlendorf's spot back in April and is not in position to give it back now. The Pirates could consider putting Ohlendorf in the bullpen."I like starting, but if they want me to go to the bullpen, I'll do that," Ohlendorf said.            &nb sp;                         &nb sp;         Bucs Bits             ;    • Outfielder Jose Tabata reported that his left leg felt good on Monday as he tested it during some light on-field workouts. In addition to doing some working out his left quad with some shuffles, Tabata spent time in the weight room and trainer's room. He is expected to remain with the team for workouts this week before resuming his rehab assignment.• In his first four rehab games with Class A Advanced Bradenton, Ryan Doumit has gone 2-for-11 with two walks and three strikeouts. • This series opener between the Braves and Pirates was scheduled to be the first Monday night game televised on ESPN since 2002. In addition to having two Saturday games against the Brewers picked up for FOX's national telecast next month, the Pirates-Phillies game on Friday will be shown on MLB authentic Lou Gehrig jersey White Network.• Friday's pitching matchup has Charlie Morton set to face Roy Halladay. That's intriguing, of course, simply because of the number of comments made this year about how much Morton's new pitching motion emulates that of Halladay.• Monday's game marked the 100th for the Pirates this season. Manager Clint Hurdle has led the Pirates to 52 wins so far, making him the first manager since Chuck Tanner (1977) to win 52 of the first 99 games in his first season at the helm.

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CLEVELAND -- Mike Trout isn't here to pinch-run and occasionally pinch-hit, manager Mike Scioscia emphasized on Monday, about 24 hours after the 19-year-old super-prospect unloaded his first Major League homer."If his role is appreciable," he'll remain with the team, Scioscia said, adding that the more likely scenario, given the team's abundance of outfield talent, is a return to the Minor Leagues when his playing time dissipates.Trout, Johnny Damon official jersey who went 3-for-9 in two starts in Baltimore and is batting .179, will be kept only in the unlikely event the club can find at least three or authentic Joba Chamberlain jersey White four starts a week for him. Having excelled at Double-A Arkansas, Trout figures to join Triple-A Salt Lake when his time with the Angels expires. "There's a learning curve we've hopefully bridged with [Peter] Bourjos and [Mark] Trumbo," Scioscia said. "There will be a time for that [with Trout]. That's a lot to put on Mike right now."            &n bsp;             ;            &n bsp;        Haren rebounding from back stiffness                 CLEVELAND -- Dan Haren, coming off a pair of substandard performances, was dealing with "minor stiffness in his back" in those starts at Oakland and at home against Texas, manager Mike Scioscia said on Monday before the right-hander faced the Indians at Progressive Field."He wasn't extending the way he needs to," Scioscia said. "He needs extension to get the fastball down on both sides of the plate. His last start wasn't what he wanted it to be."Haren was charged with seven earned runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings in the Angels' dramatic come-from-behind victory against the Rangers. He had yielded four earned runs on 10 hits against the A's in his previous outing, ending a run of four consecutive wins and six in eight starts.Scioscia said that the back issue flared up after the All-Star break, Haren having won the game before the intermission against Seattle at Angel Stadium with 8 2/3 innings of labor."He was battling it a little in Oakland," Scioscia said. "He felt much better in the last start. It isn't bothering him now. It's nothing he hasn't pitched with before."After giving up more than one earned run just once in his first 11 starts, Haren has yielded four or more earned runs in four of his past 11 outings.            &nb sp;                         &nb sp;        Rodney returns, and brings the heat with him                 CLEVELAND -- The temperature wasn't all that was smoking-hot in Baltimore over the authentic Johnny Damon jersey Grey weekend. Fernando Rodney, like his bullpen buddy Jordan Walden, was bringing the heat in his return to action."His stuff was electric," manager Mike Scioscia said of Rodney's perfect inning, complete with two strikeouts, on Saturday against the Orioles. "He had great stuff down in the zone. He got some fastballs by some pretty good fastball hitters."Rodney, who was sidelined for 35 games with stiffness in his upper back, went exclusively with heaters even though a lot of hitters consider the changeup his best pitch."I was throwing all four-seamers and two-seamers," Rodney said. "I was getting ahead and feeling good, so I stuck with it. I had good location, both sides. Maybe next time I'll use the changeup."Rodney experienced significant pain, he said, when he tried to come back initially, authentic Joba Chamberlain jersey Black but it has disappeared."No problem now," he said. "I'm ready to go."A return to form by Rodney, who is in the second year of a two-year free-agent contract, could diminish the Angels' perceived need for bullpen reinforcement before Sunday's non-waiver Trade Deadline."Fernando throwing the ball well is like a huge trade acquisition," Scioscia said. "It's tough to get a guy who can throw anywhere from middle to late and give you the possibility to close."            &n bsp;             ;            &n bsp;        Cassevah praises 'mentor' Downs           &nbs p;    CLEVELAND -- Last year it was Scot Shields. Now it is Scott Downs, the free-agent signee, most recently of Toronto, who is providing the bullpen leadership for such young arms as closer Jordan Walden and Bobby Cassevah."Everything's going good," said Cassevah, who used his heavy sinker to deliver two innings and wrap up Sunday's victory at Baltimore. "I'm breathing authentic Jorge Posada jersey Grey a little better, slowing the game down. I'm throwing the sinker for strikes and not trying to nitpick. That's how I get in trouble."One of the big things Downs talks about is, when the crowd gets loudest, that's when you need to slow authentic Johnny Damon jersey White it down. He's my mentor out there. Shields was my guy last year; now it's Downs. He's always there. You feel like you can go up and have a authentic Jorge Posada jersey Black conversation with him."Downs, whose 1.32 ERA in 34 innings has been a major factor in the Angels' moving to eight games above .500, is the unofficial captain of the bullpen as far as Cassevah is concerned."He's a country boy," said Cassevah, discovered by super-scout Tom Kotchman as a 34th-round Draft pick in 2004. "It makes us kind of click. We went out authentic Joba Chamberlain jersey Grey to dinner [on Sunday] night. He bought us sushi. We had a good time. Anything you can learn from older guys is great for us younger guys."Walden, authentic Jorge Posada jersey White no fan of sushi, passed on the meal.Cassevah, 25, has a 3.38 ERA in nine appearances and is holding opposing hitters to a .163 Jorge Posada official jersey batting average.

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ATLANTA -- Braves third baseman Chipper Jones was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday and in the starting lineup for Atlanta's 3-1 loss to the Pirates, just a little more than two weeks after undergoing arthroscopic right knee surgery.Jones was unable to play a full nine innings, however. After his eighth-inning homer, Jones left with what the Braves called a strained right quad. He told manager authentic Alex Rodriguez jersey Grey Fredi Gonzalez prior to his eighth-inning at-bat that a pinch-runner would be required should he reach, but his 10th homer of the season nixed the need for a sub.Jones is scheduled to be reevaluated on Tuesday Derek Jeter official jersey and is questionable for the second of four games against Pittsburgh. Before the game, Joba Chamberlain official jersey Jones expressed confidence in the status of his right knee."I'm good -- Don Mattingly official jersey I don't have any limitations," Jones said. "It doesn't hurt to plant, cut, nothing. So it's cool."Jones had attempted to play through a torn meniscus in the knee since early May but finally decided to undergo surgery to repair the tear on July 9. However, he fully expected to be back authentic Don Mattingly jersey Grey with the Braves within a two- to three-week time span. Jones underwent a similar surgery on his left knee in 1996 and missed less than three weeks."I actually authentic Alex Rodriguez jersey White think I authentic Curtis Granderson jersey White probably bounced back a little quicker this time than I did last time," Jones said. "When I came back and started playing [last time], I still had some tenderness in the knee. This time, I had none."Last time was probably a little more serious than this time. They took a pretty big chunk of meniscus out of my knee the first time I did it. They didn't take anything out this time but just kind of cleaned it up. That's probably the reason why we're at the 16-day point and I've already played two rehab games."Jones went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk in those two rehab games for Double-A Mississippi over the weekend. He had no problems with his legs but did have some initial discomfort while hitting right-handed. All three authentic Don Mattingly jersey White of his at-bats on Sunday came from the right side of the replica Alex Rodriguez jersey Red plate.The third baseman passed a physical administered by the Braves' medical staff on Monday afternoon before being inserted into the lineup as the No. 3 hitter. Jones said before the game that he had some residual soreness in his legs due to the extended time off, but the knee itself was fine."We're going to have to monitor it for the first little bit because there is some other soreness that I have to get over now," Jones said. "I'm feeling it today, having just played five innings in the field yesterday. The legs and the glutes, stuff like that, they're pretty sore today."Once I get over that initial 'coming back and playing nine innings' soreness, I hope I'll have no limitations."            &n bsp;             ;            &n bsp;        DL unlikely as Schafer pinch-hits            ;     ATLANTA -- As they were preparing to activate third baseman Chipper Jones from the disabled list on Monday, the Braves thought there was a chance they would create a roster space for him by placing Jordan Schafer on the DL. But after taking some swings and making a few throws in the indoor batting cage, the 24-year-old outfielder convinced the club that a return was close. "I think I'll be good in a couple of days," said Schafer before Monday night's game against the Pirates, in which the speedy outfielder appeared as a pinch-hitter for Tim Hudson in the seventh inning, striking out. "I felt a lot better today."  Schafer jammed his left middle finger while authentic Alex Rodriguez jersey Black sliding into second base during Wednesday's loss to the Rockies and has been unable to start any of the five games that have followed. X-rays taken on Monday revealed a chip fracture in the finger. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said that Schafer will be his starting center fielder when he returns to the starting lineup. With Jones back at third base and Martin Prado now back in left field, this creates the possibility that Nate McLouth could be used as a fourth outfielder.            &nb sp;                         &nb sp;        Worth noting           &nb sp;    • A late scoring change from Sunday's 4-3 loss to Cincinnati has given Braves second baseman Dan Uggla a career-high 15-game hitting streak. His sixth-inning at-bat, which originally resulted in an E5, has been changed to a single, keeping his streak intact. Uggla is hitting .346 (18-for-52) with four doubles, six homers, 11 RBIs and eight walks during the streak, which began on July 5.• Right-handed reliever Peter Moylan is expected to begin throwing off a mound by the end of this homestand, manager Fredi Gonzalez said on Monday. Moylan, who had back surgery on May 17, began playing catch last week. He remains on target to return to the club sometime in August.

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