Man Who Hit Everett Faces Assault Charges

A 24-year-old man accused of throwing a cell phone that hit Texas right fielder Carl Everett in the back of the head during Saturday’s game against Oakland faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

Juan-Carlos Covarrubias-Serrano of Palo Alto was arrested during the Rangers’ 12-2 loss to the Athletics at Network Associates Coliseum after fans pointed him out to authorities, and after Everett alerted stadium security.

The phone was thrown from the second deck, said David Rinetti, the A’s vice president of stadium operations.

Covarrubias-Serrano was intoxicated, Rinetti said, and will be arraigned Tuesday. He was being held on $15,000 bail.

“I don’t think this guy wanted to wake up on Easter morning in prison,” Rinetti said. “Hopefully he learned a valuable lesson.”

Security was heightened for Sunday’s game. Rinetti said staffing was increased and a uniformed police officer was stationed at the visitors’ bullpen.

Everett plans to press charges. When asked if he was satisfied with the beefed-up security, Everett said, “It always should have been that way. This crowd has always been surly. They throw stuff all the time.”

Sandy Alderson, a vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner’s office and a former A’s general manager, flew from the New York area to Oakland early Sunday to deal with the issue.

*

Jose Contreras will report to the New York Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., instead of triple-A Columbus.

One day after he said Contreras was optioned to the triple-A club, Manager Joe Torre said the Cuban defector would instead go to Florida.

Torre did not know whether the right-hander would pitch for New York’s Class-A affiliate in Tampa or participate in extended spring training.

*

Boston Red Sox right-hander Robert Person threw a scoreless inning for Class-A Sarasota in a Florida State League game against the Tampa Yankees. He struck out two batters, throwing eight of 10 pitches for strikes.

The Red Sox signed Person, a free agent who had been with Philadelphia, on March 6.

*

Third base coach Rich Donnelly of the Milwaukee Brewers had to leave Sunday’s game against the Houston Astros in the fourth inning after feeling faint in the coaching box.

Donnelly, 56, went down to one knee with a 1-0 count on Eddie Perez. Third base umpire Paul Nauert immediately called time out, and Manager Ned Yost and several other Brewers rushed to Donnelly’s assistance.

Donnelly walked off the field and was being examined by medical personnel.