Strawberry’s Fate in Baseball Up Next

New York Yankee outfielder Darryl Strawberry pleaded no contest to drug and solicitation charges in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday and now must await word on whether he can play baseball again.

The New York Yankee outfielder was sentenced to 18 months of probation and must be tested for drugs twice a week during that time.

Strawberry’s latest legal entanglement leaves his baseball future unclear. He is on leave from the Yankees and faces possible suspension as a multiple offender of baseball’s drug aftercare program.

“Now that Darryl Strawberry’s legal proceeding has been resolved, I will promptly review all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this matter in order to determine what action is appropriate,” baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said.

Florida Circuit Judge Jack Espinosa Jr. ordered Strawberry to stay out of bars and asked police and prosecutors to supply Strawberry with a map of Tampa “hot spots” to avoid.

At the time of his arrest on April 14, Strawberry was in Tampa working out at the Yankees’ minor league complex in hopes of making a comeback from colon cancer surgery in October.

Strawberry was charged with possession of 0.3 grams of cocaine and offering an undercover female police officer $50 for sex. The cocaine found wrapped in a $20 bill inside his wallet had an estimated street value of about $20.

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A bankruptcy hearing for a trucking company owned by Colorado Rockies’ co-owner Jerry McMorris was held Wednesday to determine whether the company could continue operating through the end of the week. NationsWay Transport filed for Chapter 11 on May 21, citing deregulation and competition.

McMorris has a controlling interest in the major league baseball team, but has said that NationsWay is separate from the team.

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Tampa Bay Devil Ray Tony Saunders was taken off the field on a stretcher after injuring his upper left arm while throwing a pitch in the third inning of Wednesday’s game against the Texas Rangers. The game was stopped for 10 minutes while Saunders, 3-3 with a 6.18 earned-run average, was being attended to. He was taken to a St. Petersburg, Fla., hospital for X-rays. . . Another Tampa Bay pitcher, right-hander Rolando Arrojo, was put on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his pitching shoulder. Arrojo was 14-12 with a 3.56 ERA for the expansion Devil Rays last season, finishing second to Oakland’s Ben Grieve in voting for the American League rookie-of-the-year award. He is 2-5 with a 7.31 ERA in nine starts this season. . . . The Detroit Tigers put first baseman Tony Clark on the 15-day disabled list because of a ligament sprain in his right shoulder. Clark, a notoriously slow starter, is batting .212 with four home runs and 21 RBIs. The Tigers purchased the contract of outfielder Luis Polonia from their triple-A affiliate in Toledo. . . . Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra missed Wednesday’s game against the Yankees because of a bruised right index finger. Garciaparra was injured while taking infield practice before Tuesday’s game, but still went two for three with a homer. He is day to day.