Expos’ Guerrero Has Broken Foot

Montreal Expo outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, one of the top rookies in the major leagues, will be sidelined for up to five weeks because of a fractured left foot, the team said.

Guerrero was injured Saturday when he fouled a ball off his foot. Guerrero had won the starting job in right field with a strong showing in spring training.

“He should be able to start running lightly and be in the batting cage within three weeks,” team doctor Larry Couglin said. “I expect he will be back in the game by four or five weeks at the latest.”

Guerrero did not accompany the team home to Montreal on Sunday. He will be put on the disabled list when the regular season starts Tuesday and will start therapy within 10 days.

“We’ll manage,” Expo Manager Felipe Alou said. “We’ll use Joe Orsulak, Sherman Obando and F.P. Santangelo. We lost Rondell White for almost three months last year and we managed.”

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A rash of recent injuries has forced the Colorado Rockies to adjust their rotation for the first five games of the season, with reliever Darren Holmes moving back into a starting role.

Kevin Ritz, a 17-game winner last season, remains the starter on opening day Tuesday at Cincinnati.

Holmes, a contender for the No. 5 job in the rotation during spring training until injuries to the bullpen pushed him back into a setup role, will start Wednesday, replacing Bill Swift, slowed by a groin injury.

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New York Yankee third baseman Wade Boggs was struck above the left eye by a ball during batting practice prior to Sunday’s exhibition game against the Atlanta Braves, sending him to a hospital for treatment.

The wound took 47 stitches--30 inside the wound, 17 on the outside--to close, but Boggs said he expects to play when the Yankees open the season Tuesday night at Seattle.

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Jose Mesa, the star reliever who has pitched poorly this spring, goes to trial on rape charges today, two days before the Cleveland Indians open the season.

Jury selection begins today in the case in which Mesa is charged with rape, gross sexual imposition and felonious assault.

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Randy Johnson completed his spring training rehabilitation from back surgery by giving up three runs in four innings in a 14-4 victory for the Mariners in an exhibition game against the Class-A Lancaster JetHawks at Lancaster. He threw 85 pitches.

He finished the spring 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA. In 20 innings he struck out 22 and walked 11.

Johnson is scheduled to make his first start since May on Friday night in Seattle against the New York Yankees.

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The Atlanta Braves set their roster for the opening of the regular season, sending pitcher Kevin Rogers, Dean Hartgraves, Brad Woodall and Scott Brow, infielder Ed Giavanola and outfielder Tommy Gregg to triple-A Richmond. The Braves also put pitcher Bryan Harvey and outfielder Danny Bautista on the 15-day disabled list. . . . The Texas Rangers sent pitchers Jose Alberro and Matt Whiteside, catcher Jeff Tackett and outfielder Mike Simms to triple-A Oklahoma City.