Notes

RANGERS

Darvish delays start

CHICAGO -- Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish has decided to throw one more live batting practice session, pushing back his first minor league rehabilitation start to May 1 in his comeback from Tommy John surgery.

But Rangers pitching coach Doug Brocail said Friday the three-time All-Star is still on track to return to the big leagues as soon as May 16 at Oakland.

Brocail said Darvish was happy with his fastball, cut fastball and slider after Thursday's batting practice but feels he needs more work on his curveball and changeup before throwing in a game.

Darvish will throw 60 pitches in a Tuesday batting practice in Arlington, Texas. He'll then make his first rehab start five days later for Double-A Frisco.

Darvish will make at least three rehab starts. Brocail said if Darvish decides he needs another, it would push his major league return past May 16.

Reliever has surgery

Texas Rangers reliever Keone Kela has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to remove a bone spur and will be sidelined about three months.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, on Friday, a day after Kela was placed on the disabled list. The 23-year-old right-hander experienced pain Tuesday when he pitched against Houston, his seventh outing of the season.

Kela's absence puts more pressure on a struggling bullpen. Rangers relievers entered Friday's game against the Chicago White Sox with an AL-worst 5.59 ERA.

Texas called up right-hander Phil Klein from Class AAA Round Rock on Thursday to replace Kela.

INDIANS-TIGERS

First Dominican ump

DETROIT -- Ramon De Jesus has become the first Dominican-born umpire to be on the field in a Major League Baseball game.

De Jesus was the second base umpire Friday night in the Cleveland Indians-Detroit Tigers game.

De Jesus, 32, had been in the minors since 2009, most recently as a staff member in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. He joins three other umpires not born in the U.S., including Venezuelan Manny Gonzalez, Angel Hernandez of Cuba and Mexican Alfonso Marquez.

Opening-day rosters this season included 82 players from the Dominican Republic, which has produced the most players not from the U.S. every year since MLB started releasing data in 1995.

BRAVES

Team: No complaints

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves said Friday it's too early to judge the condition of the playing field at Turner Field, which holds a big early lead for having the most errors for any stadium in the majors.

Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts told SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio channel on Friday the infield surface in Atlanta is "shoddy." He said he has heard that Braves players also are complaining.

"This is Major League Baseball," Roberts said. "There are going to be some important games played in that ballpark this year and to have a shoddy surface dictate outcomes is unfortunate."

Roberts noted that Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager lost his footing on the dirt when he was charged with an error on Wednesday.

Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Friday no complaints have come from his players.

Gonzalez said he met Friday with field director Ed Mangan, who explained the infield grass "is in transition" because of cool nights in Atlanta.

Entering Friday's games, there have been 22 errors at Turner Field, easily the most in the majors, according to STATS. Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park is second with 15.

MISCELLANEOUS

Bobbleheads on hold

MILWAUKEE -- The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame's inaugural induction ceremony is on hold because initial honoree Pete Rose can't make the event due to a personal matter.

Bobblehead hall co-founder Phil Sklar said the event scheduled for today has been postponed, and that organizers are working to reschedule. Sklar said Rose cited unforeseeable personal circumstances in postponing on Thursday. The ceremony was to have been held at a downtown Milwaukee theater.

Sklar estimates that he and co-founder Brad Novak have about 3,000 bobbleheads in their collection. About 2,000 are on display at an exhibit at a downtown art gallery. Museum organizers hope to find a permanent Milwaukee location for the hall by the end of the year.

Rose is baseball's career hits leader. The former Cincinnati Reds star agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation for Major League Baseball found Rose placed numerous bets on the Reds to win while playing for and managing the team.

Sports on 04/23/2016

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