Devil Rays Release Ineffective Gooden

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays released pitcher Dwight Gooden and shortstop Kevin Stocker Thursday and recalled infielder Felix Martinez and pitcher Doug Creek from triple-A Durham.

“In a situation like this, you build from the situations in the past,” Gooden said. “I’ve been in worse before. It’s just a bump in the road.”

Gooden, 35, indicated he is not yet ready to retire, saying “the fire still burns.”

Tampa Bay General Manager Chuck LaMar asked Gooden to retire before releasing him.

“I felt that his playing days were coming to an end and I wanted him to go out the right way,” LaMar said. “I thought it was time to make a move with Dwight and I gave him that opportunity to retire.”

Gooden went 2-3 with 6.63 earned-run average in eight starts for the Devil Rays. He won his first two decisions, then went 0-3 and gave up 10 homers, 25 runs and 34 hits in 21 2/3 innings.

The Devil Rays also announced that pitcher Wilson Alvarez underwent season-ending arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Alvarez, who signed a five-year, $35-million deal in December 1997, had a partially torn left rotator cuff repaired. He had not pitched this season.

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Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter reported no problems after his second full-scale workout and will play in minor league games today and Saturday.

Jeter, on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained abdominal muscle, is eligible to come off the DL Saturday. Manager Joe Torre hopes to have Jeter activated for Sunday night’s game against Boston.

Jeter is expected to play for Class-A Tampa in a Florida State League game tonight.

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Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) has asked Atty. Gen. Janet Reno to investigate whether the Baltimore Orioles refuse to sign Cuban defectors.

Oriole owner Peter Angelos, whose team played the Cuban national team in Havana and Baltimore last year, has said prospective Cuban players would be assessed on their merit.

Helms asked Reno Thursday to review the Orioles’ hiring practices “to determine whether or not they are, in fact, implementing a policy of not hiring Cuban defectors.” Helms said such a policy would violate international agreements on treatment of refugees.

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The Toronto Blue Jays put pitcher Lance Painter on the 15-day disabled list because of a tender left elbow. To replace Painter, the Blue Jays recalled left-hander Clayton Andrews from triple-A Syracuse. . . . The Cleveland Indians sent pitcher Tim Drew to triple-A Buffalo and recalled right-hander Justin Speier to take Drew’s place on the roster. . . . The Chicago Cubs optioned left-handed pitcher Kyle Farnsworth to triple-A Iowa and recalled right-handed reliever Matt Karchner. . . . Veteran catcher Charlie O’Brien was called up by the Montreal Expos from the minors, giving him a chance to play for his eighth major league team in a career that began in 1985. To make room, the Expos put left-hander Matt Blank on the 15-day disabled list. . . . Joe Strong, at 37 the oldest player to make his major league debut in nearly 40 years, was sent back to triple-A Calgary by the Florida Marlins.