Gooden Comes Home in Trade to Tampa Bay

Desperate for starting pitching, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays acquired right-hander Dwight Gooden, 35, from Houston for cash. Gooden, who grew up in Tampa and lives in St. Petersburg during the off-season, will join the Devil Rays Saturday and start that day’s game at Detroit.

Also, the Devil Rays optioned right-handed pitcher Dan Wheeler to triple-A Durham, replacing him with right-handed pitcher Cory Lidle from Durham, and hired 69-year-old Bill Fischer as their pitching coach. Fischer was the pitching coach for Atlanta’s triple-A team at Richmond since 1994.

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Pitcher Andy Pettitte was put on the 15-day disabled list Thursday by the New York Yankees because of a strained muscle on the left side of his back.

The move was made retroactive to April 8, a day after Pettitte lasted five innings and gave up five runs in a loss at Seattle. Reliever Darrell Einertson was recalled from triple-A Columbus.

Pettitte originally hurt himself March 18 while trying to avoid David Justice’s flying bat in a spring training game. Pettitte felt pain in the game at Seattle and during an in-between workout session.

“I’ve thrown now for a month with it, and every start about 70 pitches or so, it starts aggravating me,” Pettitte said.

The 27-year-old left-hander was 14-11 with a 4.70 ERA last season, and went 2-0 in three postseason starts for the two-time World Series champions.

“It’s nothing serious. It’s better for Andy to take the extra six days,” Manager Joe Torre said.

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Kerry Wood, former rookie of the year with the Chicago Cubs, struck out nine in five innings for the single-A Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League, and his fastball reached 97 mph in an 8-1 victory over the Tampa Yankees. . . . Seattle infielder Carlos Guillen was put on the 15-day disabled list after pulling his left hamstring. He was replaced by catcher Tom Lampkin. . . . Atlanta left-hander Steve Avery, on a rehabilitation assignment after shoulder surgery in August, pitched three scoreless innings in a minor league game Wednesday.

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St. Louis put left-handed pitcher Jesse Orosco and right-handed pitcher Mark Thompson on the 15-day disabled list because of elbow and groin injuries, respectively. The club purchased the contract of right-handed pitcher Mike James from triple-A Memphis and left-handed pitcher Justin Brunette from double-A Arkansas. . . . San Diego optioned left-handed pitcher Dan Serafini to triple-A Las Vegas and replaced him with left-handed pitcher Kevin Walker from double-A Mobile. Serafini was 0-0 with an 18.00 ERA in three appearances.