Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella has completed a deal to get out of the final year of his contract with the Devil Rays but will finish the season in the dugout, according to the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times.
Piniella will forfeit half his $4.4 million salary for 2006, though he will have the option of taking another job or sitting out the season, the Times reported.
“I’m going to steal a page from Joe Torre, and I’m not going to comment about this at all until the end of the year,” Piniella said Wednesday.
Several members of the staff, including Tom Foley, Billy Hatcher, John McLaren and Don Zimmer, along with Triple-A manager Bill Evers, could be candidates for the position.
Giants: Right-hander Jason Schmidt (groin) will not make his scheduled start Friday night at Colorado. Manager Felipe Alou said he expects Schmidt to return to the mound at some point during the team’s current road trip.
Right-hander Matt Kinney will start Friday.
Marlins: Slugger Miguel Cabrera left Florida’s game against the New York Mets in the first inning after fouling a ball off his knee. Cabrera completed his at-bat, striking out before leaving with a bruised left knee. He said he did not know if he could play tonight.
Red Sox: Center fielder Johnny Damon received a cortisone injection in his bothersome left shoulder, keeping him out of the lineup.
Twins: Right-hander Brad Radke has decided to shut it down for the year to let his troublesome throwing shoulder heal.
Tigers: Right-hander Jeremy Bonderman (elbow) will miss the remainder of the season.
Orioles: Second baseman Brian Roberts has ligament and tendon damage in his left arm and will need surgery that usually requires a recovery time of about six months.
