BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Browning Sidelined for Rest of Season

Tom Browning’s injured left knee will sideline him for the season, and the Cincinnati Reds will put the left-hander on the disabled list for the first time in his nine years with the team.

A medical exam Thursday found that Browning, 32, ruptured his posterior cruciate ligament, one of the knee’s main stabilizers, in a home-plate collision.

Although surgery won’t be required, Browning will be sidelined to rehabilitate the knee, club spokesman Joe Kelley said. Browning went on the disabled list and was replaced on the roster by infielder Jeff Branson, called up from triple-A Nashville.

Browning, who has a 6-5 record, suffered the torn ligament when he ran over Houston catcher Scott Servais during a 3-2 Cincinnati loss Wednesday in the Astrodome.

Mike Greenwell had surgery on his right elbow and right knee and is expected to sit out the rest of the season. The Boston Red Sox outfielder, bothered by the ailments for most of the season, was batting .233, with two homers and 18 runs batted in in 180 at-bats.

The Chicago White Sox expect Bo Jackson to begin working out with the team again in September and to play again next year, General Manager Ron Schueler said.

Jackson is rehabilitating after surgery to implant an artificial left hip. He was injured playing football for the Raiders in 1990.

Veteran National League umpire Doug Harvey will call balls and strikes in the 63rd All-Star game July 14 at San Diego.

Harvey, making his sixth All-Star game appearance, will be joined from the NL by Harry Wendelstedt at second base and Tom Hallion in left field. The American League umpires will be Rich Garcia at first base, Greg Kosc at third base and Tim Tschida in right field.

Commissioner Fay Vincent denied charges that he had attempted to have three New York Yankee employees change their testimony in the Steve Howe hearing.

Vincent summoned General Manager Gene Michael, Manager Buck Showalter and executive Jack Lawn to his office Wednesday after learning that they had testified against his lifetime ban of Howe because of the pitcher’s drug involvement.

Reportedly, the commissioner told the three that they were risking suspension from baseball for testifying against baseball’s drug policy.

Vincent, spending the weekend on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, denied any attempt at coercing the three Yankees.

“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “How could I ask them to change their testimony? They had finished their testimony. I would never discuss that with them. I called them in because I was concerned with their recognition of the importance of baseball policy.”