MLB Notes

MLB

Hall reworks vets' committees

Baseball's Hall of Fame has again revamped its veterans' committees attempting to increase consideration for more contemporary players, managers, umpires and executives.

Under the change announced Saturday by the Hall's board of directors, there will be separate committees for Today's Game (1988-2016), Modern Baseball (1970-1987), Golden Days (1950-1969) and Early Baseball (1871-1949). Today's Game and Modern Baseball will vote twice every five years, Golden Days once every five years and Early Baseball once every 10 years.

"There are twice as many players in the Hall of Fame who debuted before 1950 as compared to afterward, and yet there are nearly double the eligible candidates after 1950 than prior," Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement. "Those who served the game long ago and have been evaluated many times on past ballots will now be reviewed less frequently."

WHITE SOX

Sale sent home after 'incident'

CHICAGO -- The White Sox traded a Chris Sale start for one from Matt Albers on what morphed into a strange Saturday on the South Side.

The team sent Sale home from U.S. Cellular Field before their game against the Detroit Tigers for what General Manager Rick Hahn deemed a "clubhouse incident."

"Chris Sale has been scratched from tonight's schedule start and sent home from the ballpark," Hahn said in a statement released just before the scheduled 6:10 p.m. start of the game. "The incident, which was non-physical in nature, currently is under further investigation by the club."

Ken Rosenthal, an MLB reporter for FOX and an MLB Network insider, tweeted that Sale was unhappy with the 1976 throwback uniforms the team was supposed to wear, saying they were uncomfortable. As a result, Rosenthal reported, Sale cut up the jerseys during batting practice and was "upset that, in his view, PR and jersey sales were more important than winning."

The jerseys were hanging in front of players' lockers roughly 31/2 hours before the game, as is customary procedure. The team didn't take batting practice until after 4 p.m. Two hours later, the White Sox announced Sale had been sent home.

BLUE JAYS

Colabello back after suspension

TORONTO -- Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello has been reinstated from the restricted list after serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

Colabello was suspended April 22 after the commissioner's office said he tested positive for a drug that's sold under the name Turinabol. He lost $227,891 of his $521,126 major league salary while suspended.

Colabello was designated off the 25-man Toronto roster Saturday, but was kept on the 40-man roster. He's expected to be assigned to Class AAA Buffalo, where he has played the past five games, batting .158 with 1 home run and 3 RBI.

He spent two seasons with the Minnesota Twins before the Blue Jays claimed him on waivers in December 2014.

Colabello, 32, spent eight seasons in the minor leagues, seven of them in independent baseball, before reaching the big leagues with the Twins in 2013.

He played 10 games before being suspended this spring. In 2015, his first year with Toronto, he batted .321 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI as the Blue Jays won the AL East.

Colabello would be ineligible for postseason play should the Blue Jays reach the playoffs again this season.

DIAMONDBACKS

Hale: Don't hit Segura, or else

CINCINNATI -- Arizona Manager Chip Hale has warned teams against plunking Diamondbacks leadoff hitter Jean Segura, who took exception to the latest pitch that hit him.

Segura led off Friday night's game with a home run and then got nabbed in the lower back on the first pitch by Cincinnati's Dan Straily in his next at-bat. Segura motioned toward the mound, but the umpires kept the peace and warned both benches.

Hale acknowledged Saturday that Segura stands close to the plate, which makes him easier to hit. But the manager said it looked like Straily hit him on purpose, and there would be "some retribution at some point."

Segura has been hit eight times, tied for eighth-most in the NL.

PADRES

Teen Cuban prospect inks deal

WASHINGTON -- Top Cuban prospect Jorge Ona and the San Diego Padres have agreed to a minor league contract with a $7 million signing bonus.

The 19-year-old outfielder receives $4.9 million within 30 days of the deal's approval by the commissioner's office and $2.1 million on Jan. 15. The deal is pending a physical.

Ona was ranked as the No. 8 international prospect of the 2016 class by MLB.com and the fourth-best available Cuban player earlier this year by Baseball America.

-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services

Sports on 07/24/2016

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