ANGELS
Morales on track
TEMPE, Ariz. - First baseman Kendry Morales, whose 2010 season came to an end when he broke his leg while jumping on home plate to celebrate a game-ending grand slam, should be ready to play by opening day, Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Friday.
Whether Morales, a former Arkansas Traveler, can play the field this spring could alter multiple defensive positions.
“There’s a range with an injury like this on exactly where a guy’s going to be, and actually he’s doing very well with his running pressure on the treadmill,” Scioscia said. “There’s some work to do, but there’s enough time to get through this process to get him ready for the season.”
Morales is expected to see early spring action as a designated hitter.
Should his recovery extend into the regular season and leave him at DH, Scioscia could be forced to alter what figures to be a set outfield of Vernon Wells in left field, Peter Bourjos in center and Torii Hunter (Pine Bluff) in right in order to keep current DH Bobby Abreu’s bat in the lineup.
“When [Morales] gets to 100 percent, he’ll be out on the field,” Scioscia said. “What the time table is for that to happen remains to be seen. We’ve got a long way until opening day. I don’t think he’s going to need 80, 90, 100 at bats to be ready.”
Scioscia added Morales would hit every day if he needed, either during games or on practice fields, and that the time needed for a player to be ready to play defense is less than the time it takes a hitter.
RANGERS
Beltre out
SURPRISE, Ariz. - New Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre will miss at least the first week of spring training games, and likely more after that, because of a bothersome right calf strain.
The Rangers want to be cautious with their key offseason acquisition after an magnetic resonance imaging showed an overstretching muscle but no tear. Beltre had never had anyissues with his calf.
Assistant general manager Thad Levine said Beltre wouldn’t play in a game for at least 10-14 days, though the third baseman is expected to be ready for the regular season opener April 1 against Boston.
The spring training opener is Sunday.
Beltre got a guaranteed $80 million, five-year contract last month that also includes a option for a sixth year and $16 million more.
That particular free agent signing prompted the Rangers to make sixtime All-Star Michael Young, who has played third base for the last two seasons, their primary designated hitter as well as their utility infielder.
MLB
Source: Torre hired
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Joe Torre has been hired as Major LeagueBaseball’s executive vice president of baseball operations, a person with knowledge of the appointment said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday becausecommissioner Bud Selig wasn’t expected to formally introduce Torre until today.
MLB said Selig would make a major announcement at the new Salt River Fields ballpark, the spring facility for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
The 70-year-old Torre won four World Series titles for the New YorkYankees in a 29-year career as a manager, retiring after last season following three years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played parts of 18 seasons in the majors.
Even when Torre stepped away from the dugout, he insisted he would always stay involved in the game to some extent - though many figured that might be in television, or that he would take another managerial job elsewhere unable to truly call it quits as a skipper.
He likely will help Selig in a variety of roles. MLB lost chief operating officer Bob DuPuy last fall after he spent 8 1/2 years as the commissioner’s top aide.
Schedule FRIDAY’S GAME San Francisco 7, Arizona 6 TODAY’S GAMES All time Central Philadelphia vs NY Yankees at Tampa, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
Detroit vs Toronto at Dunedin, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh vs Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
Atlanta vs NY Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla., 12:10 p.m.
LA Dodgers (ss) vs L.A. Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 2:05 p.m.
LA Dodgers (ss) vs San Francisco at Scottsdale, Ariz., 2:05 p.m.
Colorado vs Arizona at Salt River Community, Ariz., 2:10 p.m.
Sports, Pages 22 on 02/26/2011