Broken Bone Sidelines Halladay

Toronto pitcher Roy Halladay will be sidelined at least a month because of a broken bone in his left leg, spoiling his shot to start Tuesday’s All-Star game.

Halladay sustained a fracture in the lower leg when he was struck by Kevin Mench’s line drive in the third inning of the Blue Jays’ 7-6 loss at Texas on Friday night.

The Blue Jays put their ace on the 15-day disabled list Saturday and expect him to be out four to six weeks.

Halladay, the 2003 Cy Young winner, is 12-4 with a league-leading 2.41 earned-run average.

Boston’s Terry Francona, who will manage the American League All-Star team, said Saturday that Halladay would have been the starter Tuesday night.

Francona replaced Halladay on the roster with Red Sox right-hander Matt Clement (10-2, 3.85), though he didn’t say who would start.

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Craig Wilson returned to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup Saturday night after a two-month layoff because of a finger injury.

To make room for Wilson on the roster after taking him off the 15-day disabled list, the Pirates optioned catcher David Ross to Indianapolis.

Ross, acquired from the Dodgers late in spring training for $75,000, got off to a fast start but was batting only .222 with three homers and 15 RBIs when he was sent down. He was nine for 39 (.231) in his last 14 games.

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Mark Kotsay agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Oakland Athletics that will keep the center fielder with the club through the 2008 season.

Kotsay, who had been mentioned in several trade rumors, was batting .278 with six home runs and 43 RBIs in 82 games. He hasn’t committed an error in 198 chances

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Washington second baseman Junior Spivey could be sidelined eight to 12 weeks after he broke his right wrist during a batting drill before Saturday’s game against Philadelphia. The accident happened while he was hitting off a practice tee.

“The ball bounced back off the tee and I didn’t think anything about it,” Spivey said. “I kept swinging, then I felt it pop. It’s unbelievable.”