Cubs Acquire Nevin Despite His Struggles

Struggling designated hitter Phil Nevin was traded Wednesday by the Texas Rangers to the Chicago Cubs, who are desperately seeking a power hitter to replace the injured Derrek Lee.

The Rangers got utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. from the Cubs and will pay most of the remaining difference between Nevin’s $10-million salary and the $2.3 million Hairston is making this season.

Nevin, 35, was batting .216 with nine home runs and 31 runs batted in for Texas in 46 games. He split time in the lineup with Jason Botts since the rookie was called up May 23. Nevin had only two hits his last 32 at-bats, both of them home runs.

Before going to Texas last July 30 in a trade for pitcher Chan Ho Park, Nevin spent 6 1/2 seasons with San Diego. He batted .284 with 156 homers in 824 National League games, and played 218 games at first base from 2004 until he was traded.

*

The Kansas City Royals fired general manager Allard Baird and replaced him with Dayton Moore, 39, an assistant general manager of the Atlanta Braves who will be asked to improve baseball’s worst team. The team was 381-574 under Baird.

*

Oakland Athletics second baseman Mark Ellis will be sidelined up to six weeks because of a broken right thumb. Surgery is not expected.

Ellis was hurt sliding while breaking up a double play in Tuesday’s loss to Kansas City.

*

Boston Red Sox outfielder Wily Mo Pena could miss about two months after undergoing surgery on his left wrist, the team said.

Pena’s wrist had been bothering him since last season, the team said. Boston also placed left-hander David Wells on the disabled list because of a bruised knee sustained when he was hit by a line drive Friday against Tampa Bay.

*

Outfielder Jim Edmonds missed his fifth straight start with what St. Louis Cardinals medical officials again suspect is a sports hernia, and Manager Tony La Russa expects him to go on the disabled list by the end of the week.