Lowe's arm woes continue
Atlanta's Derek Lowe, who is experiencing trouble gripping the ball, has pitched for six weeks with nagging pain near his right elbow.
The 37-year-old is not planning on skipping a start, but with anti-inflammatory medication and treatment not helping, Lowe has received a cortisone shot - the first of his career. Lowe insists that his problem is nothing serious, just a severe case of tendinitis.
"I've done countless exams and talked to doctors and it's not the ligament, it's not the Tommy John thing," Lowe said.
"We're trying to figure out what we can do to get the swelling out where I can bend my arm."
Cincy adds fire
Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman joined the Reds squad before Tuesday's game against Milwaukee. The 22-year-old lefty, who was clocked at 105 m.p.h. on the radar gun at triple-A Louisville, was too fast to hit in his big-league debut, throwing 102 m.p.h. during one perfect inning.
Strasburg surgery set for Friday
Friday is the day that Nationals wunderkind Stephen Strasburg will undergo Tommy John surgery to rebuild his right elbow. "He's very determined to get it done and start the process," Nationals GM Mike Rizzo noted of Strasburg, who can expect to be out 12 to 18 months.
The 22-year-old rookie will begin recuperation the day after the surgery, recovering at the Scripps Clinic in his hometown of San Diego. He was 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA.
McCourt v. McCourt, Day 2
Frank McCourt took the stand in his divorce trial that will determine ownership of the Dodgers. He testified Tuesday, saying it was his wife's idea to come up with a postnuptial marital agreement. "I knew creditor protection was very important to Jamie," Frank McCourt said. The marital agreement was his wife's idea and he wasn't looking for a quid-pro-quo deal, he added. "I wasn't looking for something in return," McCourt said.
Contact staff writer Sandy Spieczny at sspieczny@phillynews.com.
This article contains information from the Associated Press.
