Cardinals Get Witt From Texas

The St. Louis Cardinals got some pitching help by acquiring pitcher Bobby Witt from the Texas Rangers Monday in exchange for a player to be named and cash.

Witt, 34, was designated for assignment June 16 after going 5-4 with a 7.66 earned-run average in 14 games for the Rangers. The right-hander was the second-winningest pitcher in Texas history.

With the Cardinals, he’ll be reunited with Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan, who worked with him in Oakland from 1992-94. Witt is expected to join the Cardinals today.

The Cardinals are hoping that Witt can help offset the losses of Donovan Osborne, Alan Benes and Matt Morris--all out with injuries.

Witt, who is expected to be used initially in relief, is 129-135 with a 4.73 ERA in 11 seasons. He led the Rangers with 209 innings last year.

Witt won a career-high 17 games for Texas in 1990 and had 16 victories in 1996. He started last year 7-0 before stumbling to 12-12 with a 4.82 ERA.

His ERA when the Rangers cut him was the highest among qualifying pitchers in the American League. He has allowed 95 hits in 69 1/3 innings.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks placed Omar Daal, their most effective starting pitcher over the past month, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring and leg cramps.

The left-hander felt cramps in both legs while trying to score from first in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 5-4 loss to St. Louis. He had to be helped off the field.

Daal gave up a total or three earned runs in his last three starts, winning two of those games. Arizona trailed, 1-0, when he left Sunday’s game.

For the season, Daal is 3-4 with a 2.74 ERA. He has 54 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings.

The Diamondbacks called up left-hander Efrain Valdez from triple-A Tucson.

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Cincinnati Red batting coach Ken Griffey angrily left the team and later received permission to miss a game against the Kansas City Royals for “personal reasons.”

General Manager Jim Bowden, declining to say what Griffey was upset about, said Griffey will return today. He was not fined.

Griffey appeared to become upset while Manager Jack McKeon and some of the other coaches held a special tutoring session for younger players.

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New York Met pitcher Bill Pulsipher, recalled from the minor leagues earlier in the day, pitched an inning of scoreless relief, his first major league appearance since 1995.

Pulsipher, once considered one of the Mets’ most promising players before being sidelined by elbow injuries, was 7-5 with a 3.96 ERA in 14 starts for the triple-A Norfolk Tides.

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The 3-year-old son of Atlanta Braves shortstop Walt Weiss has been hospitalized in serious condition after contracting an E. coli bacterial infection, Weiss said. Brody Weiss is one of six Atlanta-area children to be hospitalized with an E. coli infection in the past week, state health officials said.

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The Detroit Tigers designated outfielder Bip Roberts for assignment and recalled outfielder Gabe Alvarez, who was tied for the minor league lead with 20 homers.

Alvarez, a former standout at USC, started Monday night against the Cardinals and singled in his first major league at-bat.