Devil Rays Send McGriff to Minor League Camp

Fred McGriff, who played for the Dodgers last season and is only nine homers shy of 500 for his career, was reassigned to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ minor league camp Wednesday.

The 40-year-old McGriff hit .250 with two RBIs in limited playing time in spring training.

Also Wednesday, the Devil Rays released infielders Deivi Cruz and Fernando Tatis and right-handed pitchers Todd Jones and Mike Williams. Catcher Pete Laforest and right-handers Dewon Brazelton, Jesus Colome and Travis Harper were optioned to triple-A Durham, and catcher Edwards Guzman and right-hander Todd Ritchie were reassigned to the minor league camp.

Right-hander Jason Standridge, recovering from surgery on his pitching shoulder, was put on the 15-day disabled list.

The Devil Rays, down to 26 players on their roster, open the season against the New York Yankees in Japan on Tuesday. The 25-man roster must be set by midnight Tokyo time that day.

*

Alex Rodriguez left the Yankees’ exhibition game against Boston after being hit in the face by a deflected ball at third base.

The team said Rodriguez has a bruised left cheekbone, and that a CT scan was negative.

Also, in a minor league game Wednesday, Yankee center fielder Bernie Williams went one for five in his spring debut and opening-day starter Mike Mussina gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings.

Williams had his appendix removed Feb. 26. He was the designated hitter in a triple-A game against Toronto minor leaguers.

*

Catcher Michel Hernandez was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies, and left-hander Bud Smith was designated for assignment.

Smith, who pitched a no-hitter as a rookie with St. Louis in 2001, came to Philadelphia in the trade that sent All-Star third baseman Scott Rolen to the Cardinals in 2002. The Phillies have 10 days to dispose of his contract, or they can assign him to the minor leagues if he clears waivers.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed he doesn’t get claimed,” Manager Larry Bowa said of Smith.

*

A study by researchers at the University of Dayton concludes that large public subsidies for the construction of major league baseball stadiums are unnecessary.

Economics professors Marc Poitras and Larry Hadley examined the 13 stadiums built from 1989 to 2001 and concluded teams probably would recover all or nearly all the cost of construction if the ballparks were built with private money instead of taxpayer money.