Brown Unable to Make Start

Kevin Brown will not make his first scheduled start of the season for the New York Yankees and could go on the disabled list because of a stiff back.

Brown went home to Macon, Ga., to work with his physical therapist Saturday and was to call General Manager Brian Cashman with a report. Jaret Wright will pitch in Brown’s place next Friday against Baltimore at Yankee Stadium.

Brown’s balky back flared up again Friday, when he left his spring training start against the Detroit Tigers after only three innings.

“I felt he did something a couple of starts ago. Yesterday, smartly, he stopped and pulled himself out early,” Manager Joe Torre said. “He’s done this before, go down there and have some work done, making some adjustments with his own doctor. This time off here maybe can help get it back to where he feels comfortable.”

The 40-year-old right-hander is expected to rejoin the team in time for tonight’s season opener against Boston.

Brown now is tentatively scheduled to start in Baltimore on April 15, when Wright was originally scheduled to make his Yankee debut.

But Torre said it was possible the Yankees would put Brown on the 15-day disabled list. That way they could replace him on the active roster with another player and avoid being short-handed for nearly two weeks.

*

The San Francisco Giants put Barry Bonds on the 15-day disabled list as they finalized their roster for opening day, the third time the slugger has been on the disabled list in his career.

The move is retroactive to March 25. Bonds, who will begin his 20th major league season, is recovering from two operations on his right knee in a seven-week span, the latest on March 17.

Bonds has been rehabilitating his knee in San Francisco and isn’t sure when he’ll return to resume his quest for the career home run record. His 703 homers trail Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755).

*

The Oakland Athletics signed right-hander Rich Harden to a $9-million, four-year contract, a deal that includes a club option for 2009.

Harden was promoted to the No. 2 spot in the rotation after the December departures of Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder.

*

Philadelphia right-hander Vicente Padilla threw four shutout innings in a rehabilitation start for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons at Clearwater, Fla.

Padilla, recovering from right triceps tendinitis, yielded one hit and struck out five. He threw 48 pitches.

*

Catcher Humberto Cota was put on the 15-day disabled list by the Pittsburgh Pirates because of an abdominal injury, creating a roster spot for newly acquired David Ross. The Pirates purchased Ross from the Dodgers on Wednesday.

*

The Detroit Tigers traded left-handed reliever Steve Colyer to the New York Mets for right-hander Matt Ginter.

On Friday, the Tigers sent Colyer, a former Dodger, to triple-A Toledo. The Mets assigned him to triple-A Norfolk.

*

The Cincinnati Reds finalized their opening day roster by purchasing the contracts of Rich Aurilia and Jacob Cruz from triple-A Louisville and assigning utility infielder Luis Lopez to their minor league camp.

*

The San Diego Padres put center fielder Dave Roberts, who has been bothered by a lingering groin injury, on the 15-day disabled list. The move is retroactive to March 29.

*

The Houston Astros purchased the contract of right-hander Russ Springer from triple-A Round Rock and optioned right-hander Ezequiel Astacio, left-hander Mike Gallo and catcher Humberto Quintero to the Pacific Coast League team.

Astacio had been battling Brandon Duckworth for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. With the moves, Houston got down to the 25-man active limit.

*

Baltimore assigned utility infielder Enrique Wilson and reliever Jay Witasick to their minor league camp, moves that reduced the roster to the 25-man limit.