BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJORS : Royals Bring Back Hamelin

Bob Hamelin, the 1994 AL Rookie of the Year who was sent down to triple-A Omaha on June 12 in the midst of a terrible slump, was recalled by the Kansas City Royals.

Shortstop Greg Gagne was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained knee, retroactive to June 22.

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Angel Miranda’s knee injury is more serious than first thought and the Milwaukee left-hander will undergo arthroscopic surgery Thursday and be sidelined three to four weeks.

Miranda was put on the 15-day disabled list because of torn cartilage in his surgically repaired left knee, and rookie Scott Karl was recalled from triple-A New Orleans.

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William Gould, National Labor Relations Board chairman, urged baseball players and owners to return to bargaining immediately.

“It is imperative that both the Major League [Baseball] Players Association and the Major League Player Relations Committee sit down and commence bargaining in these weeks leading up to the All-Star game so that the public and fans can focus on the pennant races and the new statistical achievements of individual players without the distraction that seems to plague all professional sports in our time,” Gould said during a speech at a sports law conference in Minneapolis.

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The Padres already have the cheapest average ticket prices in the major leagues, and now fans can save 50 percent for certain games for the rest of the season.

The San Diego International Sports Council and a local beer distributor announced a discount program in which fans can redeem coupons for half off any seat, subject to availability, for games on Sundays through Thursdays.

The coupons, good for discounts on up to four tickets, will be available at stores throughout San Diego County. The program will begin July 14.

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The Chicago White Sox put catcher Mike LaValliere on the 15-day disabled list and recalled catcher Chris Tremie from triple-A Nashville. LaValliere strained a groin muscle Monday in a 6-5 victory over Minnesota.

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The Atlanta Braves put second baseman Mark Lemke on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Sunday because of a strained left hamstring. The Braves purchased the contract of infielder Mike Sharperson from their triple-A farm team at Richmond to fill the roster spot.

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The Texas Rangers put two pitchers on the 15-day disabled list, Darren Oliver because of a partial thickness tear of his left rotator cuff and Jeff Russell because of a herniated disk in his lower back.

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A rusty Darryl Strawberry went 0 for 3 for the Gulf Coast Yankees in a rookie league game in Lakeland, Fla. The game was Strawberry’s first in 10 months. . . . Confirming news that leaked out last week, the National League announced that the Florida Marlins will be host for the 2000 All-Star game.