Rangers Lose Gil for Eight Weeks

Texas Ranger shortstop Benji Gil will undergo surgery today to repair a herniated disk in his lower back, and could be sidelined six to eight weeks.

An MRI exam on Gil’s spine Monday detected the problem, said Dr. Drew Dossett. Gil had not played since March 13 and played in only eight exhibition games, batting .200.

The Rangers are talking to other teams about shortstops, but it appears Kevin Elster will be the starter for Texas when it opens the season April 1 against the Boston Red Sox. Elster played for the New York Yankees and Philadelphia last year. He played seven years for the New York Mets. The team signed middle infielders Jeff Frye and Spike Owen to minor league contracts. Both likely will begin the season at Triple-A Oklahoma.

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Rob Dibble, a two-time National League All-Star and member of the “Nasty Boys” bullpen of the 1990 World series champion Cincinnati Reds, retired from baseball, then later said he might be back. He said he was only taking a month off and would decide then whether to launch a comeback in the minors. Chicago was carrying the 32-year-old veteran as a non-roster player.

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Atlanta Brave third baseman Chipper Jones will be sidelined from one to two weeks after undergoing surgery to remove a floating bone chip from his right knee. . . . Tom Browning, who pitched a perfect game in 1988, told the Kansas City Royals he was retiring because he was not able to bounce back from the broken arm he sustained in 1994. . . . The San Diego Padres released veteran relief pitcher Rob Murphy, 35. The left-hander was signed by the Padres to a minor-league contract after going 1-2 with a 10.95 ERA in 11 appearances for the Dodgers and Florida Marlins last season. . . . The Toronto Blue Jays released veteran right-hander Danny Cox, 36, who has been with the Blue Jays for the last three seasons. . . . Pete Harnisch, who had off-season surgery on his right shoulder, will start the season on the 15-day disabled list. . . . The Arizona Diamondbacks completed an affiliation deal with the Nuevo Laredo Owls in the Mexican League.