INDIANS
Francona out of hospital
CLEVELAND -- Indians Manager Terry Francona is resting at home following a heart procedure and four-day hospital stay.
Francona was released from the Cleveland Clinic on Friday night, one day after undergoing a cardiac ablation for an irregular heartbeat. Francona returned to his downtown residence during the Indians' 11-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Francona, 58, had been experiencing dizziness and an accelerated heart rate over the last month. Following an array of tests, he was admitted to the hospital Tuesday after doctors detected abnormal readings from a heart monitor he had been wearing for several weeks.
Doctors hope Francona's noninvasive surgery will correct the arrhythmia, which left untreated could lead to blood clots, heart failure or stroke. They want him to his ease his normal routine, so Francona will skip next week's All-Star Game in Miami.
Bench coach Brad Mills, who has been filling in for Francona, will manage the AL team with an assist from the Indians' other coaches and Tampa Bay Manager Kevin Cash, who worked on Francona's staff in Cleveland and is a close friend.
Francona is expected to rejoin the Indians and assume his usual duties July 14 when the team opens a three-game series in Oakland.
METS
Nimmo has collapsed lung
ST. LOUIS -- The New York Mets placed outfielder Brandon Nimmo on the 10-day disabled list with a partially collapsed lung.
Nimmo said he started feeling discomfort after the Mets' game on July 4, but could not recall a particular event that caused the injury.
Nimmo is hitting .350 with 2 RBI in 15 games.
Outfielder Michael Conforto (bruised left hand) was activated from the disabled list in a corresponding move.
TWINS
Colon gets minor league deal
MINNEAPOLIS -- Bartolo Colon has agreed to terms on a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins.
The 44-year-old with 235 career victories was designated for assignment last Thursday by the Atlanta Braves, a day after a loss to San Diego dropped his record to 2-8. He had an 8.14 ERA in 13 starts.
The Twins said Colon will report to Class AAA Rochester soon.
Colon's successful run with the New York Mets from 2014-16 helped affirm his status as one of the game's most durable and popular players. He began his career with Cleveland in 1997 and won the AL Cy Young Award with the Angels in 2005. He is a four-time All-Star, most recently with the Mets last year, when he won 15 games with a 3.43 ERA.
The Braves hoped Colon could hold a rotation spot this year while the team waited for pitching help from prospects still in the minors.
PIRATES
LHP Bastardo let go
CHICAGO -- After a half season of bad pitching and injury, Antonio Bastardo was designated for assignment Saturday.
The move removes the 31-year-old left-hander from the Pirates' 40-man roster. They have 10 days to trade or release Bastardo or, if he clears waivers, they can send him outright to the minors. But Bastardo has enough service time to reject such an assignment and still collect the remainder of his $6.5 million salary.
Bastardo made nine appearances for the Pirates this season and kept the opponent off the board in only one of them. He allowed 15 runs, 16 hits (5 of them home runs) and 9 walks in 9 innings, good for a 15.00 ERA and a 2.78 WHIP.
He missed more than two months because of a strained left quadriceps, after which the Pirates stashed him on a rehab assignment for as long as they possibly could. He returned and made three appearances, his Pirates tenure culminating with a two-run home run from Kris Bryant.
The move also closes the book on the Neil Walker trade. The Pirates sent Walker to the Mets in December 2015 for Jon Niese, whom they traded back to the Mets for Bastardo, whom they had acquired prior to 2015 from the Philadelphia Phillies.
Phil Gosselin will take Bastardo's roster spot. Since going back to Class AAA Indianapolis June 15, he hit .263 with a .322 OBP and .350 slugging percentage.
Sports on 07/09/2017