The Seattle Mariners say left-hander Cliff Lee is recovering from minor left foot surgery and will be limited when pitchers and catchers report to spring training this month.
The team announced Monday that its biggest offseason acquisition had surgery Friday in his native Arkansas to remove a bone spur that broke loose and was floating in his left foot.
Lee was acquired from Philadelphia this winter in a complicated four-team deal. His injured foot is not in a cast, and he is continuing his upper-body exercise program. The Mariners says the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner will “gradually return to all normal baseball activities” over the next two to three weeks.
Seattle’s first workout for pitchers and catchers is Feb. 18.
Vizquel to wear Aparicio’s 11
The Chicago White Sox are taking Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio’s number 11 out of retirement for newly acquired 11-time Gold Glove winner Omar Vizquel.
A Venezuelan like Aparicio, Vizquel will wear the number as a tribute to his countryman.
“For me, it’s like a huge celebration, trying to keep his name alive and trying to spread the word of Venezuelan shortstops,” Vizquel said Monday during a conference call. “I think every kid now – the new generation of shortstops in Venezuela – has to know about Luis Aparicio and everything that he means to us in this game.”
Aparicio said if there’s one player he’d like to see wear his number, it’s Vizquel, the leader among shortstops in games (2,681) and a three-time AL All-Star.
“I have known Omar for a long time,” the 10-time All-Star shortstop and nine-time Gold Glove winner said in a statement. “Along with being an outstanding player, he is a good and decent man.”
Selig statue on the way
The Brewers are erecting a statue of baseball commissioner Bud Selig outside Miller Park and will unveil it on Aug. 24.
Selig headed a group that bought the Seattle Pilots in bankruptcy court in 1970, moved the franchise to Milwaukee and renamed it the Brewers. He became acting commissioner in 1992 and took the job full-time six years later, turning control of the team over to his daughter, Wendy Selig-Prieb.
The Selig family sold the team to a group headed by Mark Attanasio in 2005.
Bo-Mel a scout for Mets
Former Seattle Mariners manager Bob Melvin has been hired as a professional scout by the New York Mets, who also brought back Mookie Wilson as their minor league outfield and base running coordinator.
Melvin was the NL Manager of the Year in 2007 with Arizona. He managed the Mariners from 2003-04 and then the Diamondbacks from 2005 until he was fired last May 8 and replaced by A.J. Hinch.
Yanks corral Thames, Winn
Marcus Thames agreed to a minor-league contract with the New York Yankees, who also finalized a $1.1 million, one-year deal with Randy Winn to give themselves more left-field options.
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