Hart Dismisses Dismissal Rumors

Cleveland Indian General Manager John Hart flatly denies reports that he came close to firing Manager Mike Hargrove on Aug. 11, the day before he gave Hargrove a vote of confidence.

“There are some things I don’t like about Mike as a manager. But there are a lot of things I like about him,” Hart told the Baltimore Sun. “I believe in the guy. . . . Believe me when I say firing him was never an option.”

*

The Texas Rangers put second baseman Mark McLemore on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 19. McLemore has soreness in his left knee and was able to start only three of the last 11 games. He had arthroscopic surgery on the knee May 24, and will have the knee examined Monday to determine if further surgery is necessary.

To replace McLemore, the Rangers purchased the contract of infielder-outfielder Alex Diaz from triple-A Oklahoma City.

In another move, right-hander Roger Pavlik was assigned to double-A Tulsa on a rehabilitation assignment. He has been out since May after undergoing right-elbow surgery.

*

Eric Davis stepped into the batting cage in Baltimore for the first time since he had surgery in June to remove a cancerous tumor from his colon.

Working on his own before the rest of the Orioles took batting practice, Davis hit five balls over the fence.

“I feel pretty good,” said Davis, who is undergoing chemotherapy. “I’m just a little tired right now. I took more swings than I’ve taken in a long time.”