Yankees’ Brown Could Start Friday

New York Yankee right-hander Kevin Brown probably will return from the disabled list Friday and start against the Baltimore Orioles that night.

Brown, sidelined since June 9 because of a lower back spasm and an intestinal parasite, pitched a bullpen session Wednesday and felt good.

Brown said he would let the team decide whether he starts Friday’s game. He is 7-1 with a 4.13 earned-run average in 13 starts.

“The key is to be good enough to give the team a chance to win,” Brown said. “I’m encouraged with the way I felt.”

Teammate Jason Giambi also has been fatigued because of an intestinal parasite, but Manager Joe Torre expects to know more about the slugger’s condition today.

“Jason tried to play through it, there’s no question about it,” Torre said. “Maybe he tried to talk himself into thinking he was getting better.”

Also Wednesday, three days after his release from Tampa Bay, Fred McGriff worked out for the Yankees for the second day in a row in Tampa.

The Devil Rays designated the 40-year-old first baseman for assignment July 17 after he hit .181 with two homers and seven RBIs in 27 games. He has 493 home runs in his career.

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The New York Mets suspended outfielder Shane Spencer without pay one day after he was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol and charged with driving under the influence.

Spencer is on the 15-day disabled list after cutting his right foot on a piece of glass in a New York bar last Thursday.

Met General Manager Jim Duquette didn’t say what the team would do when Spencer is eligible to come off the disabled list.

“We haven’t made a final determination yet on that about his future,” Duquette said. “We’re still talking those details through.”

Also, the Mets designated right-hander Scott Erickson for assignment and recalled left-hander Pedro Feliciano from triple-A Norfolk.

Erickson went 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA for the Mets in two starts, including an outing in Monday’s 19-10 loss to the Expos in which he gave up seven earned runs in two innings.

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An MRI exam showed no damage, but Florida Marlin closer Armando Benitez will be sidelined until next week because of inflammation in his pitching elbow.

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Closer Billy Wagner returned to Philadelphia to have his sore left shoulder examined by Dr. Michael Ciccotti, the Phillies’ team physician. A stiff shoulder has kept Wagmer sidelined for the last week. He’s scheduled to see Ciccotti today.