A LITTLE UNIT?: Randy Johnson, last year's American League Cy Young award winner, missed his scheduled start Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers so he could spend some time with his wife, Lisa, and their new son.
Johnson's wife gave birth Friday to Tanner Roland Johnson. The family also has a little girl, Samantha.Johnson is scheduled to return to the pitching mound for Saturday's game with the Brewers.
TRADES: Four teams were involved in a pair of trades Friday:
- Brewers-Indians: Milwaukee acquired catcher Jesse Levis from the Cleveland on Friday. The Brewers sent minor league pitcher Scott Nate and a player to be named later to the Indians.
- Angels-Reds: California Angels traded infielder Eduardo Perez, a former first-round draft choice, to Cincinnati on Friday in exchange for outfielder Will Pennyfeather.
The Angels said Pennyfeather, 27, will report to their Vancouver farm club of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.
SURGERY FOR PULSIPHER: Bill Pulsipher, one of the New York Mets talented young pitchers, received a second recommendation Friday that he get surgery on his injured left elbow.
Earlier this week, an MRI revealed that Pulsipher had a torn medial collateral ligament in his elbow. Mets team physician Dr. David Altchek advised season-ending surgery, and Pulsipher went to California to be re-examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum. Yocum, the California Angels' team doctor, confirmed Altchek's diagnosis.
SCHALL GETS SHOT: Philadelphia's Gene Schall will get his chance to claim a job in the major leagues as a replacement for Phillies first baseman Gregg Jefferies, who will miss the next two months with an injured left thumb.
"The opportunity is right there," said Schall, who got his first taste of the big leagues last year, hitting .231 in 24 games in a September call-up to the Phillies. "They're basically saying, `Let's see what you can do."