AL Wire Notes | Padilla suspended for seven games; Swisher gets three

Texas Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla was suspended Tuesday for seven games and Oakland Athletics outfielder Nick Swisher was given three games for an incident that occurred in the first inning of Sunday's game in Oakland.

Padilla was suspended for intentionally throwing at Swisher, who charged the mound. Both players also received undisclosed fines, a decision made by baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson.

Swisher began his suspension Tuesday, when the A's hosted the Seattle Mariners in the middle game of their three-game series. Padilla appealed his suspension. The Rangers played at Minnesota on Tuesday.

Swisher was on crutches Tuesday after fouling a ball off his right foot Monday night, though he stayed in the game. A's manager Bob Geren said it made little sense for Swisher to appeal his penalty, because that process takes time and that could have meant him missing time at the start of the 2008 season.

"It sounds pretty fair to me, pretty normal," Geren said. "Obviously I wish the whole thing never happened."

Jeff DaVanon replaced Swisher in center field Tuesday and Geren said Dee Brown also could earn a start in the next few days.

Baltimore: OF Jay Gibbons met with two officials from the baseball commissioner's office to discuss a report he received performance-enhancing steroids and human growth hormone after both substances were banned by baseball. Gibbons met Monday with Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, and Jon Coyles, the sport's director of drug testing. Michael Weiner, general counsel of the players' association, also attended the session. There was no indication whether there would be any follow-up, a person familiar with the meeting said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no details were announced. The meeting was first reported Tuesday by The Sun in Baltimore on its Web site. ... RHP Daniel Cabrera dropped his appeal and started serving his six-game suspension for throwing at Boston's Dustin Pedroia this month.

Boston: INF Kevin Youkilis (sore right wrist) played catch but is not ready to return. "We're doing everything we can but I don't know how you can go faster than the healing will allow," manager Terry Francona said.

Kansas City: Rookie 3B Alex Gordon was held out of the lineup with a bruised right knee.

Los Angeles: RHP Ervin Santana will start today instead of RHP Bartolo Colon, who developed back stiffness following his 4-2/3 innings last Friday against the White Sox.

New York: If the Yankees lock up the wild card before the final weekend of the regular season, manager Joe Torre indicated he's leaning toward lining up his playoff rotation — even if New York has a chance to catch AL East-leading Boston. "I haven't really thought that far ahead, but to me the postseason is the most important thing," Torre said.

Tampa Bay: LHP J.P. Howell will pitch today game against the Angels instead of the scheduled starter, RHP James Shields, who is being shut down for the final two weeks of the season as a precaution.

Texas: Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Hank Blalock were in the lineup after missing Monday's game with neck injuries stemming from Sunday's skirmish.

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