Rockies encouraged about Ubaldo Jimenez

Colorado Rockies Manager Jim Tracy said he was “extremely encouraged” by how Ubaldo Jimenez responded to a Friday long-toss session and said the right-hander, who has a cut cuticle on his right thumb, will throw a bullpen session Sunday as he aims to come off the disabled list.

“It was a very, very aggressive form of long toss,” Tracy said. “The report I got was that he was really, really letting it go. I was extremely encouraged by that.”

Jimenez gave up six runs, five earned, in his opening-day start April 1 against Arizona and has not pitched since. He would be eligible to come off the disabled list April 17.

Jimenez, 27, placed third in National League Cy Young balloting last season, when he went 19-8 with a 2.88 earned-run average and 214 strikeouts.

Etc.

Right-hander Trevor Cahill agreed to a multiyear deal with the Oakland Athletics, ESPN.com reported. Terms weren’t announced, though the 23-year-old right-hander would have been eligible for the first of three salary arbitration years after this season. He went 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA last season and made his first All-Star team. … One day after Pittsburgh’s Ross Ohlendorf removed himself from a start in the third inning, the Pirates put him on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a strained shoulder, the same injury that landed him on the 60-day DL late last season. … Minnesota Twins reliever Kevin Slowey was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 5, because of a sore right biceps. Slowey was beaten out by Scott Baker for the fifth rotation spot in the spring.