Strawberry May Be Lost for Season

Darryl Strawberry, who had hoped to rejoin the New York Yankees this weekend, instead probably will require surgery on his left knee and might sit out the rest of the season.

Strawberry, 35, decided Friday to halt his rehabilitation stint with triple-A Columbus after four games.

“He said he can’t give us what we need,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “It’s a tough pill for us to swallow, especially given how hard he’s been working. You’d love to have his bat in the lineup, but he has to be able to do more than that.”

Playing with a limp for Columbus, Strawberry went 4 for 15 with two home runs and six runs batted in. After going 0 for 14 in five games with New York, he was put on the disabled list April 11 because of fluid on that knee.

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Baltimore Oriole outfielder Eric Davis, 35, on the disabled list since May 26 because of a stomach ailment, underwent surgery to remove a segment of his colon.

The 2 1/2-hour operation was performed at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore while the Orioles were in Atlanta to meet the Braves in an interleague game. He is expected to be out an additional eight weeks.

Dr. Keith Lillemoe, professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, made a six-inch incision in Davis’ abdomen to remove an infectious mass in the colon, the Orioles said.

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The Seattle Mariners’ new ballpark may open during the 1999 season, after all, following the Washington Supreme Court’s rejection of a challenge to $336 million in bonds used to finance the stadium.

The 7-2 ruling means construction can continue on the ballpark being built in Olympia, south of the Kingdome.