Postseason baseball schedules shortened

The schedules for the American League and National League Championship Series will be shortened this fall after the commissioner’s office announced Wednesday that it will remove a day off from the middle of each playoff.

The move was recommended by a special committee convened to address complaints about last year’s schedule, which Angels Manager Mike Scioscia called “ridiculous” after his team was idled for 12 of 21 days through the division series and ALCS.

“It’s a first step,” said Scioscia who, along with the Dodgers’ Joe Torre, was among four active managers appointed to the committee. “I don’t think it’s the end to what I think the playoff format will eventually get to.”

The length of the postseason will not change and the first round of the playoffs will remain a best-of-five series through 2011. But eliminating the day off between Games 4 and 5 of the Championship Series will make it difficult for a team to get through the postseason with only three starting pitchers, as the New York Yankees did last season. The Yankees went on to win the World Series and defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.

Scioscia said he would eventually like to see the division series expanded to seven games, but that would force the regular season to be shortened “unless we’re going to move the World Series to Jamaica,” he said.

The 2010 postseason will start Oct. 6 with Game 1 of the World Series scheduled for Oct. 27. If the series goes the distance, Game 7 would be played Nov. 3. Last season, Game 7, had there been one, would have been Nov. 5.

--Kevin Baxter

Tejada to remain on probation

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Miguel Tejada will have to remain on probation for another six months unless he completes his required community service before then.

Tejada was sentenced last year to one year of probation, 100 hours of community service and received a $5,000 fine for misleading Congress about a former teammate’s use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Tejada’s probation had been set to expire Thursday. However, prosecutors say Tejada still has 44 hours of community service to complete.

Reyes returns

New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was back in camp at Port St. Lucie, Fla., and working out for the first time in 19 days after being sidelined because of a hyperactive thyroid.

Guzman has surgery

Chicago Cubs reliever Angel Guzman has had arthroscopic surgery for a career-threatening injury to his right shoulder. The procedure, performed Tuesday by Dr. James Andrews, was not as extensive as the Cubs anticipated, meaning he has a better chance to pitch again than first expected.

A’s, Rangers make trade

The Oakland Athletics have acquired right-handed reliever Edwar Ramirez from the Texas Rangers in a trade for infielder Gregorio Petit.

Ramirez, who spent the last three seasons with the Yankees, was on the Rangers’ 40-man roster and has been assigned to Oakland’s major league spring-training camp. He has a 6-2 record with a 5.22 earned-run average with 116 strikeouts and 93 hits in 98 1/3 innings and 96 appearances.