Escobar exits early with sore shoulder

MIAMI -- The injury bug bit the Braves once again.

This time, it was shortstop Yunel Escobar.

Leading off the top of the third inning with the Braves trailing the Marlins, 1-0, on Wednesday, Escobar singled to center field, but he stumbled out of the box before reaching first base. Upon getting to the bag and calling for time, the 25-year-old was checked out by head athletic trainer Jeff Porter.

Porter started massaging Escobar's left shoulder, and he was taken out of the game with an aggravated left shoulder. Tuesday callup Brent Lillibridge took his place as a pinch-runner.

Escobar, currently listed as day-to-day, said when he stumbled after his swing, he leaned on his left arm to get back up and felt a pinch in the area. The Cuban native said the left shoulder has been bothering him all year, but since there's only one month left in the season, he's better off playing through it and getting it taken care of in the offseason.

"Eventually, I'm going to need rest and I'm going to need some time to recuperate," Escobar said. "[September] is all I have left, so I'll just play through it."

Entering the series finale, Escobar was batting .283 with eight home runs and 55 RBIs. The Braves currently have six players on the disabled list, and Chipper Jones is nursing a twisted right knee.

Escobar has been unable to start in 17 games this season.

Byrnes likely to play winter ball

PHOENIX -- D-backs outfielder Eric Byrnes had an MRI taken Tuesday that he said showed his torn left hamstring is healing nicely.

"It looked really good," he said. "It looked like it was healing well."

So good that Byrnes did some light running on the D-backs' specialized treadmill that uses an air flow system to reduce the amount of body weight that is put on the legs.

It will still probably be two or three weeks before Byrnes is able to run, which effectively rules him out for a possible return this year. While there was never a serious chance he would be able to recover in time, Byrnes always held out hope.

"Realistically, I just can't," he said. "It's not a very realistic option."

What is more likely is that Byrnes will head to the Instructional League this fall to get some at-bats and reassure himself that the hamstring is feeling good.

"I'm confident that I'll be there at some point before it's over," he said. "The reality of the situation is I had over 600 at-bats last year and I had 200 this year and ... not one of those at-bats was healthy."

Byrnes is in the first year of a three-year, $30 million contract extension he signed last August. He has toyed with the idea of maybe going to the Dominican Republic to play winter ball, but does not want to risk pushing things too hard and re-injuring the hamstring.

"The bottom line is I'm going to be here for the next couple of years and the next two years are very important for me and the team as well," he said. "The only thing I'm really concerned about is being 100 percent for Spring Training next year."

Long road ahead for September stretch

CHICAGO -- The Cubs are going to need plenty of clean socks, a couple new decks of cards, their favorite travel pillows and their loyal fans as they hit the road in September.

Lou Piniella and his crew head into the final month of play with the best record in the National League, and a chance to win 100 games for the first time since the 1935 team went 100-54. That year, the Cubs lost to the Detroit Tigers in six games in the World Series.

To get to 100, they'll have to win on the road, which hasn't been a problem in the second half. Sixteen of the Cubs' final 25 regular season games will be played away from Wrigley Field, including a season-ending series at Miller Park from Sept. 26-28 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Since the All-Star break, the Cubs are 14-5 in their road grays, and one of four teams in the NL above .500 away from home (34-31). The others are Philadelphia, Milwaukee and St. Louis.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee said of the overload of road trips. "We have to play the game somewhere. I don't think we're too worried about it."

The Cubs have only one series against a team under .500 -- Sept. 5-7 at Cincinnati. They have to face NL East-leading New York from Sept. 22-25 at Shea Stadium, and deal with the Brewers, who lead the Wild Card, for six games. It won't be an easy month.

"We've got a month left of important games, and I like where we're at as a team," closer Kerry Wood said. "I like where the bullpen's at, I like the way our starters are throwing the ball, I like the way we're scoring runs. We have to stay healthy this last month."

The road does feel like home in some ballparks because of transplanted Chicagoans or Cubs fans who made the trip and can chant, "Let's go Cubbies" without prompting.

The offense has been clicking. They have three players with at least 20 home runs and two more at 18. Five players have at least 60 RBIs. The lineup, top to bottom, has contributed. On Aug. 28 against the Phillies, for example, the Cubs trailed 4-1 in the eighth, pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot led off with a home run, and Aramis Ramirez followed with a grand slam. If Ramirez keeps that up, he'll be one of the leading MVP candidates.

"He's not going out there and hitting his home runs when we're up by five or six or down by five or six," Cubs pitcher Bob Howry said of Ramirez. "He's coming up in big situations. They're huge."

All the Cubs have come up big. They lead the Major Leagues in run differential, and -- perhaps the most improved stat from the last several years -- they're first in on-base percentage.

"Some days, we're going to put up 14 [runs], and some days we might only put up enough to win," Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster said, "but it seems like there's always that threat, there's always the fear that we can come back at any time."

The Cubs' rotation got a boost with the addition of Rich Harden, acquired July 8 from Oakland. The right-hander, though, is being given 10 days' rest between starts to freshen his arm. Carlos Zambrano also was given an extra day, as was Dempster.

Reed Johnson, added at the end of Spring Training, has been a contributor, as has Jim Edmonds, who knows a thing or two about postseason play. Plus, the addition of callups like hot-hitting Micah Hoffpauir will allow Piniella to give his position players a breather.

"We enjoy winning, we really do," Dempster said. "All the guys are having fun, and the easiest way to maintain it is you look at not just the core players, your superstar players on the team, but all the other guys that chip in on a regular basis and like to have fun, even when they're not playing. They're on the bench having a good time. Things are very relaxed, and we trust in our ability."

And it's not just the hitters who are enjoying the ride.

"We've got five guys in the starting rotation that every time they go out there give this team a chance to win," Dempster said. "That makes things a lot easier. We've got a lot of good pieces."

Piniella has avoided comparisons between the current Cubs bullpen and the "Nasty Boys" trio of Randy Myers, Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton he managed in 1990 in Cincinnati. He doesn't like to talk about the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who won 116 games. Asked if the 2008 Cubs are the best team he's ever managed, he calls them a "good team."

He's tried to keep Cubs fans, eager to end the 100-year drought since the last World Series, under control. There's still work to be done.

"Winning is what it's all about," Piniella said. "That's what you come to the ballpark for, that's what you go to Spring Training for. I don't get too excited one way or another. I try to stay pretty even-keel, because I know that last month of baseball is a grueling one and a tough one, and you have to be ready to play."

Chicago led Milwaukee by 1 1/2 games on Sept. 1, 2007, and won the National League Central last season with an 85-77 record. Can the Cubs repeat? They have not finished in first in consecutive seasons since 1906-08. That '08 season, by the way, is the last time they won a World Series.

September will challenge young Rays

ST. PETERSBURG -- One month to go in the 2008 baseball season, and once September plays its cards, the Rays will know if they will venture into their first postseason.

Throughout the season, the Rays have silenced negative forecasts by continuing to overcome obstacles and remain in first place. Now, as they begin the most important month in franchise history, they find themselves atop the American League East by a margin of 5 1/2 games over the second-place Red Sox.

Everybody knows how September seems to bring about another brand of baseball. Some teams can handle it, others can't.

"I think our guys are finally getting it, they are finally understanding it," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Believe me, there's a certain kind of September energy that just comes your way when you are in the hunt. And regardless of how tired you may be, you just find somehow to get to that next level on that specific night."

Normally, baseball players maintain the "one game at a time" mentality and never acknowledge that any game at any time is more important than other games. Sill, veterans such as Trever Miller, understand the magnitude of September games.

The month of September "does become more magnified when you are in a pennant race," Miller said. "The games aren't necessarily more important than the first game of the year, they all count for one win, one loss. ... However, when you get closer to the end of the year, the numbers start to be more manageable and you get the magic number thing going. ... Whereas in April you didn't, so that goes into the importance of it and that gets magnified."

September will be difficult for the Rays, who embark on a schedule that will see them play just 10 of their final 27 games at home. You have to like the team's chances at Tropicana Field, where it has a 52-19 record, but its remaining home games are against the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Twins.

Facing the Yankees at Tropicana Field in a series that starts Tuesday will bring the Rays their first September test. And despite the 12 1/2 games separating Tampa Bay and New York in the standings, the Bombers are not to be taken lightly.

"Never count anybody out until they've got an 'X' by their name," Rays closer Troy Percival said. "They have a good squad."

However, Percival doesn't feel this initial September test against the Yankees will be any different than earlier tests this season.

"Everybody's been hyping up every series that we've had all year," Percival said. "[Saying] this is the road trip [the Rays] are going to fall, this is the homestand they are going to fall, it's been going on around us all year, so I don't think it's really going to affect us that much."

"It still feels like we have something to prove."-- Scott Kazmir

The Rays enter September with a 32-32 mark on the road. Certainly, they would be happy to split their remaining road games, given the fact they will be playing in difficult ports. The coming weekend will kick off a nine-game trip to Toronto, Boston and New York. Consider this: the Rays will see Roy Halladay during the Toronto series, they have not won in Boston in six tries this season and they were swept the last time they visited New York.

Following the grueling road trip, the Rays will return to St. Petersburg to finish out their home schedule with three games against the Red Sox, who are 0-6 at Tropicana Field this season, and four against the Twins, who are fighting to win the American League Central or to earn the AL Wild Card berth.

The Rays' final eight games of the season are at Baltimore and Detroit. The series against the O's will include a twi-night double-header on Sept. 23, which includes a makeup game from April 3. A difficult twist could come in the first game at Detroit, when the Rays will play a 1:05 p.m. ET contest on Sept. 25 after playing the O's in a 7:05 contest on Sept. 24.

Looking ahead for the Red Sox, who are measurably better at home (45-19) than on the road (34-38), they will play 17 of their final 26 games at Fenway Park.

Indeed, the Rays have a tough road in front of them, but they won't be taking anything for granted, despite their 5 1/2-game cushion heading into September.

"Like Joe says, 'We have to keep our eyes on the prize,'" Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir said. "It still feels like we have something to prove."

Helton working to return this season

DENVER -- Rockies first baseman Todd Helton looked fit and jovial Monday morning, which happened to be the day he was eligible to return from the disabled list.

Although he is inching closer to recovery from a back strain that has kept him out since July 3, he was not in the lineup. But he's like the Rockies, who entered Monday afternoon's game with the Giants trailing the Diamondbacks by six games in the National League West.

Helton and the Rockies each have hope.

Manager Clint Hurdle acknowledged that, considering the amount of time missed, there are arguments for and against Helton returning before the end of this season.

Hurdle said he wouldn't comment on those pros and cons until "the appropriate time for me to respond," but he sounded as if he'd like to see a healthy Helton help the club with its against-the-odds push and gain confidence for 2009.

"I like the fact he's working his way back," Hurdle said. "I like the fact that he's feeling better. He does, also. I think anybody would hope that a guy would get out of the discomfort that he's been in and put himself in position to participate.

"Nobody wants the season to move on without him, and he feels that he still might have some value to add."

The Rockies called up right-handed reliever Steven Register from Triple-A Colorado Springs and activated outfielder Ryan Spilborghs (strained left oblique) from the 15-day disabled list Monday, but did not make any other moves even though they could expand their roster from 25 to a limit of 40. Hurdle said he would make other moves after Monday, which is the final day of the Triple-A and Double-A seasons.

Spilborghs activated in time to face lefty

DENVER -- Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs couldn't have picked a better day than Monday to return after missing 47 games with a strained left oblique.

Manager Clint Hurdle started Spilborghs in right field Monday afternoon in a lineup consisting totally of right-handed-hitting position players against Giants left-hander Jonathan Sanchez.

Spilborghs is 4-for-8 with two doubles, an RBI and a walk this season against Sanchez, who is returning after missing two weeks with a shoulder injury.

Spilborghs was batting .314 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in 72 games when he was injured while running the bases during a game at Milwaukee on July 8.

"It's perfect," said Spilborghs, who hit .322 last September and was an important figure in the Rockies' late-season run to the playoffs. "Obviously, I would have liked to have been back right away, but after the wait and the process, I'm excited to be back."

It wasn't until two weeks ago that the injury healed. Spilborghs admitted not knowing much about such injuries until he fell victim to the side strain.

"When you run, you use it, when you hit and throw, when you sneeze or laugh or go to the bathroom or do anything, you're using that muscle," Spilborghs said. "Anything you do is pretty much surrounding that silly muscle."

Hurdle said he wanted to put Spilborghs on the field "sooner than later," and factors other than his success against Sanchez weighed into his lineup decisions. Spilborghs replaced the left-handed-hitting Brad Hawpe and Jeff Baker started at third in place of left-handed-hitting Ian Stewart.

"Offensively, the last couple of days have been hard on us," Hurdle said. "We've got some guys on the backside of their offensive games that maybe a little rest will help them get things tightened up. [Tuesday], the guy [Tim Lincecum] is pretty quick on the mound and we need to be short with our strokes."

Braves confirm September additions

WASHINGTON -- Right-handed pitcher James Parr and infielder Brent Lillibridge will be spending the season's final month looking to make a good impression and prove they can compete at the Major League level.

The Braves confirmed Sunday that Parr and Lillibridge will be among the players added to the roster after it expands to 40 players on Monday. Other additions will include right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton, left-handed reliever Jeff Ridgway and catcher Corky Miller.

Morton will be added to the roster on Monday, and he is scheduled to start the following day against the Marlins. Parr, Lillibridge, Ridgway and Miller are expected to participate in Triple-A Richmond's series finale on Monday and then join the big league team on Tuesday.

When Double-A Mississippi completes play in the Southern League playoffs, right-handed reliever Luis Valdez could be added to the roster. In 55 appearances this year, Valdez has worked 65 1/3 innings, registered 77 strikeouts and limited opponents to a .208 batting average.

Among the players joining the club from Richmond, Parr is the only one without any previous Major League experience. In 28 combined appearances (26 starts) with Mississippi and Richmond this season, he has gone 13-7 with a 3.52 ERA.

To make room for Miller and Parr on the 40-man roster, the Braves will transfer right-handed reliever Rafael Soriano and outfielder Matt Diaz to the 60-day disabled list. Diaz, who has been sidelined since May 27 with a torn MCL in his left knee, is expected to visit noted knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman again on Sept. 15.