Indians Lose Rhodes After Family Illness

Cleveland Indian reliever Arthur Rhodes has left the club because of a family illness and will miss the rest of the season, a blow to baseball’s best bullpen and the club’s playoff chances.

“It’s going to be tough without him,” closer Bob Wickman said. “He has been huge for us all year. We’re definitely going to miss him.”

Rhodes was in his first season with the Indians, who acquired him in a trade last December with Pittsburgh for outfielder Matt Lawton. The left-hander didn’t pitch because of the personal matter from Aug. 2 to Sept. 3.

“He’s had to deal with a great deal this year,” Indian Manager Eric Wedge said before Tuesday’s game against the Oakland Athletics. “It’s best for him and his family that he is with them.”

Rhodes is married and has two daughters and a son. Wickman, a father of three, said he understood Rhodes’ decision.

“If I was in the same situation, my family would come first also,” Wickman said. “We’re all behind him.”

Rhodes has helped Cleveland’s bullpen become one of the majors’ stingiest, one season after it was one of the worst. The 35-year-old was primarily used as a setup man in the seventh and eighth innings and went 3-1 with a 2.08 earned-run average in 47 appearances. He was 0 for 3 in save opportunities.

Cleveland’s relievers have the majors’ lowest ERA (2.88).

*

An MRI exam of Boston Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon’s left shoulder showed no structural damage.

Damon has been playing with discomfort since injuring the shoulder on a slide against Baltimore on Sept. 4.

Manager Terry Francona said Damon will remain in Boston for treatment while the Red Sox finish their Toronto trip. Boston returns home to play Oakland on Thursday.

“Even if he can’t [play] the news is good. He’s going to be OK,” Francona said. “We just have to let it settle down.”

*

New York Met catcher Mike Piazza is sure he has more baseball left in his banged-up body, and he hopes to prove it next year.

Recovering from a concussion and broken hand, the latest in a string of injuries to hamper him the last few years, Piazza, 37, said he still wants to play next season -- even if it’s not in New York.

“Everyone is assuming that I’m not going to be here next year, but I’ve never said anything either way,” said Piazza, in the final year of his contract.

“I’m just going to finish as strong as I can and see what the options are.”

The career leader in home runs by a catcher, Piazza was batting .263 with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs in 98 games this year -- not the big numbers he’s accustomed to putting up.

But he fully expects to find somewhere to play next season.

“I hope so, unless you know something I don’t,” Piazza said. “Whatever I have left, I plan to give it all. I’ve got the rest of the season.”

*

Sammy Sosa settled a lawsuit in Miami that alleged the Baltimore Oriole slugger owed more than $22,000 for a law firm’s work in resolving tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service, a lawyer said.

Details were not released.

The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, claimed Sosa failed to pay the Boca Raton firm Tescher, Gutter, Chaves, Josepher, Rubin, Ruffin and Forman. The firm represented Sosa and his charitable foundation in two tax cases resolved in Sosa’s favor.