Whiten Signs With Indians

The Cleveland Indians gave outfielder Mark Whiten a chance to revive his career, signing the outfielder to a one-year contract Wednesday.

Whiten, 31, was playing in Mexico after the New York Yankees released him last August following his arrest on a sexual assault complaint. He was never charged, but no one invited him to spring training and Whiten was enduring long bus rides and a minor league atmosphere before the Indians called.

“Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward,” Whiten said after taking outfield practice before Cleveland’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. “I dealt with it. It was the hand I was dealt and I played it.”

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The Kansas City Royals put right-hander Hipolito Pichardo on the 15-day disabled list and called up left-hander Jamie Walker from Triple-A Omaha.

Pichardo (2-2) split a callous on his pitching thumb in the sixth inning Tuesday night against Tampa Bay.

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Red Sox pitcher Butch Henry will have an operation on his injured left knee and miss the rest of the season, General Manager Dan Duquette said.

Henry missed the last month of the 1995 season and all of 1996 while recovering from tendon transplant surgery. He also missed five weeks last season because of left shoulder tendinitis.