BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ELSEWHERE : Prosecutors Meet With Mets’ Lawyers

Assistant Florida state attorney Dave Morgan and those officials assigned to investigate the alleged rape of a 31-year-old New York woman conferred with attorneys for the three New York Met players accused of the crime.

“The meeting was an effort by us to explain the needs of the investigation as far as their clients is concerned,” Lt. Scott Bartal said.

Bartal said Morgan requested that the players answer those needs by Wednesday but did not specify what the needs are. It’s believed that the investigators have asked for blood samples.

The woman has accused the three players of raping her last year during spring training.

The Cincinnati Reds won’t know for at least another day or two whether reliever Rob Dibble has a major shoulder injury.

Dibble was scheduled to have an MRI of his right shoulder Monday at a Tampa hospital, but the exam was pushed back to today.

The club said an anesthesiologist wasn’t available when Dibble’s magnetic resonance imaging was scheduled, causing the one-day delay. Results may not be available until Wednesday.

Manager Lou Piniella said Dibble has to be sedated for the exam because he’s claustrophobic. The MRI is done in a chamber.

The Pirates cut two of their hottest spring hitters, outfielders Dave Clark and Ty Gainey, leaving them with 34 players in major league camp. Clark, 29, who was hitting .263, and Gainey, 31, who had four hits in eight at-bats, were sent to the Pirates’ minor league camp for reassignment. Both probably will start the season with triple-A Buffalo. . . . John Smiley, almost despondent after being traded last week by the Pirates to Minnesota, said he is adjusting to his new team. “The shock is wearing off,” said Smiley, who was 20-8 last year. “I still think about it a lot, but I’ve been treated well by Minnesota and I’m getting to like it. It was tough at first, but I feel good about it now.” . . . Left-hander Jim DeShaies left the Oakland Athletics’ training camp after team officials told him he wouldn’t make the major league roster. . . . The San Diego Padres have hired former major league pitcher Mario Soto as their Dominican Republic coordinator.