MIAMI — Major-league stolen-base leader Emilio Bonifacio was safe on his first 20 attempts this season. Now he’ll be out for a while.
The Marlins center fielder will have surgery on his injured left thumb today and is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks. Bonifacio already was on the disabled list after he jammed his hand on a dive into first base last Friday at Cleveland. Joining Bonifacio on the DL on Thursday was reserve outfielder Austin Kearns, sidelined since Tuesday with a sore right hamstring. Outfielder Kevin Mattison was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans.
Bonifacio was batting .268 with three triples, and he was 20-for-21 in steal attempts. Kearns was batting .375 with three homers in 48 at-bats.
Yankees say they’re not for sale• NEW YORK — The Daily News reported Thursday there were rumors in Major League Baseball and New York banking circles that the Steinbrenner family “is exploring the possibility of selling the Yankees.”
Not so, says Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner.
“It is pure fiction,” he said. “The Yankees are not for sale. I expect that the Yankees will be in my family for many years to come.”
Hal’s father, George Steinbrenner, headed a group that bought the Yankees from CBS Inc. in 1973 for about $8.7 million net. The elder Steinbrenner died two years ago.
Footnotes. White Sox starter John Danks is headed to the 15-day DL because of soreness in his left shoulder, and Jose Quintana will be called up from the minors to start tonight in his place against the Indians. … Dominican pitcher Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly known as Leo Nuñez, received a waiver from the U.S. government that potentially will allow him to rejoin the Marlins after he used a fake name and age to play professional baseball. … The Angels designated for assignment former Longmont High School pitcher David Pauley and recalled infielder Andrew Romine from Triple-A Salt Lake. … The Tigers placed center fielder and leadoff hitter Austin Jackson on the 15-day DL because of an abdominal strain.
