Clemens to make next start Monday at Triple-A

Roger Clemens' next start will be in the minors.

Clemens will pitch Monday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Toledo. It's still not certain when the 44-year-old ace will return to the New York Yankees.

"We'll take it start by start," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Friday night. "We want him to come up here when he's ready to help."

It did not appear Clemens would join the Yankees by next weekend for their series against Boston at Fenway Park.

"Fenway, as they used to say in football, is piling on," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

Clemens had a bullpen session Friday away from Yankee Stadium. Torre was still waiting to talk with Clemens to see how he felt.

Clemens pitched for Double-A Trenton on Wednesday and struggled. He gave up three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings, throwing 102 pitches. He walked four, struck out five and threw a wild pitch.

Blue Jays' Halladay throws simulated game: Toronto Blue Jays' ace Roy Halladay threw 65 pitches in a simulated game in Minnesota, continuing his comeback from an appendectomy that sent him to the disabled list two weeks ago.

Halladay said he felt good after throwing for the first time since the surgery. The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner said he has no discomfort from the scar on his lower right abdomen.

Gonzalez to have season-ending elbow surgery: Atlanta Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez will miss the rest of the season and at least half of 2008 after learning he must have reconstructive elbow surgery.

Gonzalez, placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 16 with a left elbow strain, said he has a small tear in a ligament below his left elbow.

The tear was discovered in an MRI exam in New York on Thursday by New York Mets medical director Dr. Dave Altchek, the specialist who has operated twice on the elbow of Braves left-hander Mike Hampton.

"This is the worst news you can get," Gonzalez said.

Marlins manager suspended one game: Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez served a one-game suspension Friday night for going onto the field during a bench-clearing confrontation one inning after he was ejected.

Florida's first-year manager was ejected for the first time Thursday for arguing a call. In the next inning, the Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies waged a shoving match near third base, and Gonzalez was back on the field restraining one of his players.

"It's something I shouldn't have done, but I'd rather not let the stuff escalate more than it was," Gonzalez said. "I think Major League Baseball saw that I was more of a peacekeeper and not trying to instigate stuff."

Gonzalez also was fined.

A's place Robertson on DL, bring up Ramirez: The Oakland Athletics placed right-hander Connor Robertson on the 15-day disabled list with a thumb injury and called up left-hander Erasmo Ramirez from Triple-A Sacramento.

Robertson fractured his right thumb in Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox. Since being recalled from Sacramento on May 15 to replace pitcher Huston Street, he allowed at least one run in each of his three outings.

Ramirez was 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA and two saves in 19 relief appearances with Sacramento. He last pitched in the major leagues in 2005 with the Texas Rangers.

Dukes returns to lineup: Tampa Bay rookie outfielder Elijah Dukes was back in the lineup Friday at Chicago after missing two games amid allegations that he threatened to kill his estranged wife and their two young children.

Dukes was in center field and batting leadoff as the Devil Rays opened a three-game series against the White Sox.

Both Seattle and K.C. starters leave early: Kansas City's Gil Meche and Seattle's Felix Hernandez both left Friday night's game with tightness in the lower back.

Hernandez, in his third start since coming off the disabled list with a right elbow strain, cruised into the sixth with a 10-0 lead but gave up an RBI triple and a run-scoring double and was relieved after a lengthy conference on the mound that included assistant trainer Rob Nodine.

Meche gave up eleven hits and seven runs in just 4 1/3 innings, his poorest outing in 11 starts. He left with one out in the fifth and the Royals said he would be examined today.