Guzman Is Out for the Season

Washington National shortstop Cristian Guzman will sit out the season after the team decided Friday his right shoulder needs surgery.

Guzman has been out since early in spring training. The team put him on the disabled list March 27 and kept him in Florida for extended spring training, hoping he could build up the muscle around a tear in the shoulder and avoid surgery.

The player came to Washington this week, and the plan was for him to work out for General Manager Jim Bowden and Manager Frank Robinson. But because Guzman has been feeling too much pain while throwing, the Nationals determined he needs the operation, which will be performed Monday by Dr. Tim Kremchek.

Guzman is expected to be ready for spring training in 2007.

Guzman flirted with hitting below .200 in 2005 before finishing with a career-low average of .219. That was the first season in a four-year, $16.8-million contract he signed as a free agent.

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Kansas City Royal General Manager Allard Baird said he has asked veteran right-hander Joe Mays to accept a demotion to triple-A Omaha.

Mays, an All-Star in 2001, has struggled this year with a 10.27 ERA and an 0-4 record in six starts. The Royals also recalled outfielder Aaron Guiel from Omaha and sent third baseman Mark Teahen down before Friday’s game at the Chicago White Sox.

The moves came the same day Kansas City owner David Glass aired his frustration over the team’s poor start.

“I’m not willing for us to sit and wait to see if it gets better,” Glass said. “We’ve got to figure out what we’ve got to do to make it better. And that’s what I’m working on.”

A 1-0 victory at Minnesota on Thursday night left the Royals 6-20, a major league-low .231 winning percentage.

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The Baltimore Orioles activated outfielder Luis Matos from the 15-day disabled list and placed Javy Lopez on the 15-day DL because of a strained back.