CHICAGO — Cook County prosecutors said Friday they will not file charges against Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro for criminal sexual assault.
“We’re pleased for Starlin that this issue is resolved and glad that he can continue to keep his focus on baseball activities,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said.
The state’s attorney’s office and Chicago police reviewed the case and found insufficient evidence to charge the 21-year-old player, state’s attorney spokeswoman Sally Daly said.
Chicago police said in January that they were investigating an allegation of sexual assault against Castro. Castro said he cooperated with authorities. His attorneys have said the allegations are baseless.
“I understand that being a member of the Cubs means being a hard worker on the field and a good citizen off the field, and I always want to carry myself in a way that exceeds high expectations,” Castro said in a statement released by the Cubs on Jan. 13.
Castro was chosen to the All-Star team last year in his first full major league season when he batted .307 and led the National League with 207 hits. The young star made his major league debut in May 2010. Chicago signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2006.
Cardinals place
Berkman on DL
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, as expected, with a left calf strain aggravated chasing a pop fly.
The move was made retroactive to Thursday.
Utility man Skip Schumaker was activated from the 15-day disabled list in time for Friday night’s game at Pittsburgh. Schumaker played in four games during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis and was 3 for 13 with two walks and two strikeouts.
Rookie Matt Carpenter is expected to get the bulk of the playing time, and infielder Daniel Descalso played first base in the minors. Berkman has started seven games at first base, and Carpenter has started the other six.
Brewers’ Narveson
may need surgery
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Narveson is heading to the disabled list with a tear in his rotator cuff, an injury that is still being evaluated but may ultimately require surgery.
Narveson, the Brewers’ No. 5 starter, is hopeful that his injury won’t need more than some rest to heal — but he’s also preparing for the possibility of surgery.
“You’re always hopeful, but it all depends on what the doctor says,” Narveson said Friday. “It’s kind of in their hands. Sometimes, the outlook doesn’t look too good, but we’ll see.”
The Brewers placed Narveson on the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to April 16. Right-hander Marco Estrada will start Saturday’s game against Colorado in Narveson’s place.
Narveson is seeking a second opinion and said he hasn’t yet discussed the possibility of surgery with the team doctor.
The team described Narveson’s injury as a tear, but Narveson said the nature and severity of the injury remained unclear as of Friday evening.
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said Narveson has been sore since his most recent start, which came last Sunday in Atlanta.
“I know Chris was a little down when we told him we were going to DL him today,” Roenicke said. “Hopefully, it’s just a DL.”
The Brewers were counting on a deep starting rotation to be one of their biggest strengths this season, and a long-term injury to Narveson would be a test for the team.
The Brewers also announced that right-handed reliever Kameron Loe will be placed on the bereavement list Saturday after the death of his grandfather.
The Brewers recalled right-hander Mike McClendon from Triple-A Nashville, and right-hander Wily Peralta is expected to be recalled from Nashville tomorrow to take Loe’s roster spot.
Indians closer fined
for ‘reckless’ tweet
OAKLAND, Calif. — Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez is considering appealing a $750 fine from Major League Baseball for a “reckless” message on his Twitter account after a bench-clearing scuffle last weekend in Kansas City.
The pitcher said Friday he wants an explanation from MLB about what is and isn’t acceptable on Twitter, because he believes his post was far from egregious.
“Obviously MLB did. It caught me off guard,” Perez said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press before Cleveland opened a weekend series at Oakland. “I can go through the union and I’m still waiting to hear back what my agent wants to do. It’s not really about the money, it’s about the principle. I don’t know if I’m the first one ever. I’m getting the most publicity out of it. I don’t want to just lie down and let them have full reign, because right now there are no guidelines, so how are we supposed to know? That’s what I want to get out of it. If I crossed the line, fine, but what’s the line?”
After batters for both the Indians and Royals were hit by pitches, touching off two bench-clearing dustups last Saturday, Perez posted a message on his account, @chrisperez54, that said: “Huge team win tonight; time for a sweep to tell the Royals it’s not ‘Our Time’, it’s #TribeTime. P.S. You hit us, we hit you. Period.”
On Wednesday, Perez received a fine from Joe Garagiola Jr. in the commissioner’s office. He told Perez he “demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of the players on both clubs.”
Dodgers’ Guzman
suspended 50 games
NEW YORK — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Angel Guzman was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball on Friday for a second violation under the minor league drug program for a drug of abuse.
The 30-year-old right-hander was 3-10 with a 4.82 ERA for the Chicago Cubs from 2006-09, then missed 2010 with a torn shoulder ligament. He spent 2011 at Class A in the Cubs’ minor league system, making two appearances at Peoria of the Midwest League and going 0-3 with a 4.26 ERA in 19 games at Daytona of the Florida State League.
He signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in December and attended big league spring training, pitching 5 1⁄3 scoreless innings in five games. He then was sent to Triple-A Albuquerque.
“I knew about it in spring training. It’s a unique situation with that kid, and it’s a little deeper. There’s more to this story,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “I really like him. He’s got a great arm and is a hard worker and a great kid. He’s not someone to write off.”
The suspension was the 35th this year under the minor league program.
baseball card sells for $1.2M at auction
ST. LOUIS — A New Jersey man paid $1.2 million for a rare 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card in an online auction that brought interest from many potential buyers who had never owned a card before, the sale organizer said.
The buyer hasn’t decided whether to come forward publicly, and the seller, a Houston businessman, wants to remain anonymous, said Bill Goodwin, the suburban St. Louis collectibles dealer who ran the auction that ended Friday. The buyer’s bid was the highest of 14 made since the auction began last month.
