Mulder May Be Out for Season

Left-hander Mark Mulder of the Oakland Athletics has a stress fracture in his right hip, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy.

“Mark is not going to be here for a while,” A’s Manager Ken Macha said Friday.

Macha and A’s trainer Larry Davis would not speculate on how long the ace left-hander would be sidelined.

Mulder, 15-9 with a 3.13 earned-run average in 26 starts, had an MRI exam Thursday, and the A’s were surprised to see it showed a fracture.

The A’s, who are tied with the Boston Red Sox for the lead in the AL wild-card race, put Mulder on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, listing the injury as tendinitis.

*

Pedro Martinez was still sick in bed on Friday, a day after he was scratched from his start with a sore throat and fever. The Red Sox were hoping that he would be ready for his next scheduled start on Tuesday.

Martinez, who was scheduled to start Thursday night’s game against Oakland, instead went to the hospital and was diagnosed with severe pharyngitis -- inflammation of the throat. He was given medication for both the fever and the sore throat and was resting by late afternoon.

Casey Fossum took Martinez’s turn Thursday night and got the win. But on Friday, the Red Sox optioned him to triple-A Pawtucket and purchased the contract of Bronson Arroyo from Pawtucket.

Arroyo pitched the fourth perfect game in the 120-year history of the International League history on Aug. 10. He’ll pitch out of the bullpen.

*

The St. Louis Cardinals bolstered their bullpen by getting Mike DeJean from the Milwaukee Brewers for two minor league pitchers to be named.

They also acquired left-hander Sterling Hitchcock from the New York Yankees for minor league pitchers Justin Pope and Ben Julianel.

DeJean, 32, was 4-7 with a 4.87 ERA and a team-leading 18 saves in 58 games for the Brewers. He was 2-0 with a 3.63 ERA in 14 appearances since the All-Star break.

DeJean will likely be used in a setup role with St. Louis, which has been lacking in left-handed relief. General Manager Walt Jocketty said DeJean also could close on the days that Jason Isringhausen can’t pitch.

*

Matt Morris, sidelined with a broken hand and a sprained left ankle since July 22, will start for the Cardinals today against Philadelphia without the benefit of a rehabilitation assignment. The Cardinals decided to take him off the 15-day disabled list after he pitched in a simulated game at Pittsburgh last week, then threw 70 pitches in the bullpen Wednesday.

*

The decision to trade reliever Scott Sullivan to the Chicago White Sox for a prospect has angered several of the Cincinnati Reds.

Sullivan, 32, had developed into one of the most dependable relievers in the majors and one of the leaders in the clubhouse.

During a 9-3 loss in Arizona on Thursday night, the Reds shipped Sullivan to the Chicago White Sox, along with some cash, for a player to be named. Starter Danny Graves heard about it on the bench when he came out for a pinch-hitter in the sixth and said he got sick to his stomach.

“Sully has been my best friend in Cincinnati since we have been here. I don’t know how to think of it,” said Graves, who sobbed in clubhouse afterward.

Said starter Chris Reitsma: “It’s a joke. Sully is the kind of guy you keep around. It makes me sick. It really does.”