PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled RHP Ross Ohlendorf from AAA Indianapolis and have designated reliever Joe Beimel for assignment.

Ohlendorf is expected to start on Tuesday night when the Pirates host first-place Milwaukee. It will be his first start with Pittsburgh since being placed on the disabled list in April with discomfort in his left (throwing) shoulder. Ohlendorf went 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA in seven minor league starts. He is 0-0 with a 7.37 ERA in two starts with Pittsburgh.

Beimel went 1-1 with a 5.33 ERA in 35 games for Pittsburgh but has struggled this month, giving up eight runs in 5 2-3 innings, including a two-run homer to Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun on Monday night.

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PITTSBURGH — Gerrit Cole got his first look at PNC Park on Saturday. The Pittsburgh Pirates say they’re in no rush to put this year’s overall No. 1 draft pick on the mound there anytime soon.

“The last thing we want to do is rush this process,” general manager Neal Huntington said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re intelligent about it. We’ve got a long time that Gerrit is going to be a successful pitcher in this organization. We’ve got to make sure we go about it the right way.”

Cole agreed to a deal Monday night that included an $8 million signing bonus. The right-hander pitched three years at UCLA.

Huntington said he’s seen it all too often with promising young players — particularly pitchers — who get placed on too much of a fast track to the majors. He vowed to resist that temptation with Cole.

“There’s some great examples of success, and there’s some tragic examples of failure,” Huntington said. “We’re trying to work toward the success side.

“We’re definitely looking to build Gerrit to where he’s ready to attack a 200-plus innings workload at the major-league level, but history is littered with guys who tackle that 200-inning count before they’re ready physically,” he said.

For now, Cole will report to the Pirates’ spring-training complex in Bradenton, Fla. Full Story

Johnson: Pudge could return to Nationals

The Nationals could bring Ivan Rodriguez back to the team for 2012, manager Davey Johnson told MLB.com.

Rodriguez, currently out with injury, isn’t expected to return to the team before September, clearing up playing time for new backstop Jesus Flores, who is 26 years old and far more relevant to the Nats’ future. Rodriguez is hitting .214/.276/.325 this season in 129 plate appearances. It’s by far the worst offensive showing in his career, and I-Rod is set to also mark a career low in games played, currently at just 39 with a previous low of 88… set in his first season as a 19-year-old.

“Anybody would be crazy not to have [Rodriguez] back,” Johnson said. “He is a tremendous talent. He has been great here this year. He is fun to have around. He can hit, he can catch, he can throw and he adds to our depth at catching. He is a valuable asset. It just depends on the roster and what goes on over the winter and what our needs are.”

Despite the ringing endorsement, Johnson did admit that Rodriguez’s return will depend on Flores, who was drafted in the Rule 5 draft before 2007 and hit .244/.310/.361 that season. He also saw 90 games worth of time in 23 and was off to a great start in 2009 as a 24-year-old, hitting .301/.371/.505 through 106 PA before injuring himself and missing the rest of the 2009 season, as well as 2010. He’s finally back in action, though, and was recently promoted back to the majors where he is at .244/.295/.390 through 16 games.

Pirates’ Maholm on DL

PITTSBURGH — Pirates left-hander Paul Maholm is on the disabled list for the first time, sidelined by a shoulder strain.

Maholm has lost four straight starts and five consecutive decisions, and Pittsburgh is 0-7 in games he started since the All-Star break. Over his past four outings, Maholm’s ERA has climbed a half-run to 3.66. He has allowed 17 earned runs and 31 hits in 22 2/3 innings.

The Pirates recalled rookie left-handed reliever Tony Watson from Triple-A Indianapolis. Watson was 0-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 25 appearances earlier this season.

Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle says he hasn’t worked out his upcoming rotation, including a doubleheader on Monday. Brad Lincoln, currently in the bullpen, and Ross Ohlendorf, who began the season in the rotation but is in Indianapolis, are potential options.

Twins scratch Nishioka

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Twins shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka has been taken out of the team’s lineup because of back spasms.

Nishioka was slated to bat ninth against the New York Yankees. The Twins announced the change about an hour before first pitch. Matt Tolbert was inserted at shortstop in his place.

Nishioka’s first season with the Twins has been rough. He is hitting just .217 with five extra-base hits in 203 at-bats, plus 10 errors. He missed 59 games after breaking his lower left leg in the first week of the season. He was the batting champion in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball last year.

Second base umpire Brian O’Nora also was declared out for the game due to a personal medical matter, leaving a three-man crew to work the game.

Rockies boot Hammel from rotation

Jason Hammel has been dropped from Colorado’s starting rotation in lieu of Alex White, the team announced.

Hammel’s demotion is unsurprising, as the 28-year-old’s wheels have fallen off over the last three months. After two successful seasons with the Rockies after coming over from the Rays and lining up 2011 as another solid year, Hammel has instead thrown up a 7.24 ERA over his last 12 starts. He’s shown no signs of turning it around either, with a 9.24 ERA over his last four starts, including a three-inning stinker against the Dodgers on Friday when Hammel coughed up six runs.

Alex White, who was acquired from the Indians in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade in the midst of rehabbing from an injury, will make his Rockies debut by sliding into Hammel’s spot on Tuesday, with Hammel headed to the bullpen.

“I worked tirelessly to figure this out,” Hammel said after Friday’s start to the Associated Press. “Obviously, I’m not fulfilling expectations right now. It’s very disappointing to me and of course, the whole organization, too. Point the finger at me for holding this organization back right now. If we want to get going in the right direction, I need to figure it out.”

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates activated left fielder Jose Tabata from the disabled list on Tuesday and optioned slumping third baseman Pedro Alvarez to Triple-A Indianapolis for the second time this season.

Tabata had been out since June 27 with a strained left quadriceps. He played in 13 minor-league rehab games with Class A Bradenton and Indianapolis, hitting a combined .293 with six doubles.

Tabata was in the lineup Tuesday night and batting leadoff against St. Louis. Tabata was hitting .265 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 71 games when he was hurt in a game against Boston as he beat out an infield single.

“I’m excited to be back and a little nervous, too,” Tabata said. “It’s been a long time. It kind of feels like opening day again.”

Alvarez has hit .196 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 56 games in two stints with the Pirates. He won the National League rookie of the month award last September.

“We still believe in Pedro and that he will be a big part of what we’re doing here,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I told him to go down, embrace it as a challenge and swing the bat with bad intentions.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PITTSBURGH (AP)—The Pittsburgh Pirates activated left fielder Jose Tabata(notes)
from the disabled list on Tuesday and optioned slumping third baseman Pedro
Alvarez(notes) to Triple-A Indianapolis for the second time this season.

Tabata had been out since June 27 with a strained left quadriceps. He played
in 13 minor-league rehab games with Class A Bradenton and Indianapolis, hitting
a combined .293 with six doubles.

Tabata was in the lineup Tuesday night and batting leadoff against St.
Louis. Tabata was hitting .265 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and 14 stolen bases
in 71 games when he was hurt in a game against Boston as he beat out an infield
single.

“I’m excited to be back and a little nervous, too,” Tabata said. “It’s
been a long time. It kind of feels like opening day again.”

Alvarez has hit .196 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 56 games in two
stints with the Pirates. He won the National League rookie of the month award
last September.

“We still believe in Pedro and that he will be a big part of what we’re
doing here,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I told him to go down,
embrace it as a challenge and swing the bat with bad intentions.”

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 13 (UPI) — The Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday placed first baseman Derrek Lee on the 15-day disabled list due to a fractured left wrist.

The Pirates acquired the veteran slugger from the Baltimore Orioles at last month’s trade deadline. He sustained the injury when he was hit on the wrist Aug. 3 by the Chicago Cubs’ Carlos Marmol.

Lee was able to play two games after missing four contests following the injury, but a decision to shelve him was made following batting practice Friday in Milwaukee before a game with the Brewers.

Lee appeared in just five games for the Pirates, hitting a pair of homers in his first contest with the club but compiling just three hits after that. He is hitting .247 with 14 homers and 47 runs batted in 90 overall games this year.

The Pirates recalled infielder Josh Harrison from Class AAA Indianapolis to fill the roster spot.

This time, there was no controversy, no debate and a lot less innings.

Atlanta and Pittsburgh played 19 innings Tuesday night before Julio Lugo scored the winning run on a call at the plate that umpire Jerry Meals later acknowledged was incorrect.

Ross became Atlanta’s starting catcher when the Braves placed McCann on the 15-day DL before the game with a left oblique injury. Ross came through with two hits, driving in both of the Braves’ runs.

“You’re not replacing B-Mac,” Ross said. “I’m trying to get in there and hold down the fort until he comes back.”

Ross is hitting .296. Most recently, he served as Tim Hudson’s personal catcher in a routine that gave McCann a regular day off.

The Braves are 17-6 with Ross starting, and the veteran is hitting .316 with four homers and 18 RBIs in those starts.

“I can’t think of very many teams in the major leagues that have the quality we do at the backup catcher position,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Nate McLouth led off the 10th with a single to right off Chris Leroux (1-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game.

McLouth advanced to third on Freddie Freeman’s one-out single and Leroux intentionally walked Dan Uggla to load the bases for Ross.

Scott Linebrink (4-2) pitched the 10th for the win. Uggla finished with three hits to extend his career-best hitting streak to 18 games.

“I would have done the same thing they did, pitch around him to get to me,” Ross said.

Meals said Wednesday he watched a replay and Pittsburgh catcher Mike McKenry tagged Lugo before he scored the winning run in the second game of the series.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said he wanted the clear acknowledgement from Meals that he missed the call.

“I think that would be appropriate,” Hurdle said before Meals released his statement. “It would be professional. It would be respectful. And then we could all move on.”

Hurdle spoke with Meals when lineup cards were exchanged at home plate before the game. The two shook hands, and Hurdle gave the umpire a pat on the back before returning to the dugout.

The 19-inning game lasted 6 hours, 39 minutes and was the longest in Turner Field history and in both franchise histories. The game drained each team’s bullpen, and the start of another extra-inning game had Gonzalez worried.

“I was starting to get nervous, I was starting to get real nervous,” Gonzalez said.

Pittsburgh, seeking its first winning season in 19 years, fell 1½ games behind St Louis and Milwaukee in the NL Central.

The Pirates were held to seven hits by Jair Jurrjens and three relievers.

“We’re not built to slug,” Hurdle said. “You combine that and you come in here and face the Braves starting rotation, it’s one of the best ones in the league. It’s tough duty.

“We’ve got to find some bats to get in play. Hopefully that will start tomorrow.”

Jurrjens helped preserve the bullpen by pitching seven innings, allowing Garrett Jones’ sixth-inning homer to right-center. Jurrjens gave up six hits, walked three and struck out four.

The Braves scored one run and had three hits off Paul Maholm in the sixth. Martin Prado led off with a bloop single to left and scored on a single by Ross.

Prado, who went 0 for 9 in the 19-inning game, had two hits but was thrown out at third by left fielder Xavier Paul while trying to stretch a double in the first.

Maholm gave up nine hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked none.

Atlanta is concerned about its lineup after losing two regulars for at least two weeks, placing McCann and outfielder Jordan Schafer on the 15-day disabled list.

The Braves are also missing third baseman Chipper Jones, who is limited by a strained right quadriceps to pinch-hitting duty.

Jones grounded out in the ninth.

Schafer leads the team with 15 stolen bases, usually as the leadoff hitter. McCann is hitting .306 with 18 homers and a team-leading 55 RBIs.

The Braves recalled catcher J.C. Boscan and outfielder Wilkin Ramirez from Triple-A Gwinnett. Ramirez started in right field. Jason Heyward had the night off.

Boscan will serve as the backup to Ross while McCann recovers.

NOTES: The Pirates placed INF Chase d’Arnaud on the 15-day DL with a fractured right little finger. … The Braves acquired C Wil Nieves from Milwaukee for cash and assigned Nieves to Triple-A Gwinnett. … Pittsburgh C Ryan Doumit was 0 for 3 in his second injury rehab game with Triple-A Indianapolis. Doumit is returning from a left ankle sprain.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.