Padilla Is Injured in Accident

Right-hander Vicente Padilla of the Philadelphia Phillies was involved in a car accident Thursday night in Nicaragua in which his driver was killed.

Padilla, who broke his collarbone and a finger on his right hand, was treated and released from Hospital Espana in Chinandega, hospital director Alejandro Paguaga said.

Padilla, 26, also bruised his right shoulder while making the 70-mile trip from the capital of Managua to his hometown of Chinandega, police said.

The driver, Abrahan Flores, apparently fell asleep and the car careened off the highway and rolled over, police said.

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The Minnesota Twins exercised their 2004 option on the contract of third baseman Corey Koskie. The 30-year-old Koskie made $3.4 million this season. He batted .292 with 76 runs, 29 doubles, 14 homers and 69 runs batted in in 131 games. His .973 fielding percentage was second among American League third baseman, behind Kansas City’s Joe Randa.

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Houston Astro General Manager Gerry Hunsicker is expected to interview for the same job with the New York Mets, according to published and broadcast reports.

Houston station KRIV quoted unidentified baseball sources Thursday night as saying the Astros had granted the Mets permission to talk to Hunsicker. Newspapers in Houston and New York reported Hunsicker will interview for the job Monday.

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The Angels are stripping the name of their hometown from their road uniforms.

When they unveiled their new look last season, they included “Anaheim” across the front of their road jerseys, for the first time in club history. They have now decided the jersey front should read “Angels” on all uniforms, the home whites and the road grays.

The team name is not affected. As part of the 1996 agreement in which the city committed funds to help renovate Edison Field, an agreement inherited by new owner Arte Moreno, the team changed its name from the California Angels to the Anaheim Angels.

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Steve Gruwell, a scout in the Angel organization from 1981 to 2000, died Thursday of kidney failure. He was 62. One of the notable players signed by Gruwell was outfielder Jim Edmonds, now with the St. Louis Cardinals.