July 22, 2007

Unit to throw 2 innings in rehab

Nick Piecoro
The Arizona Republic

CHICAGO - Randy Johnson will take another significant step in his latest rehab on Tuesday when he is scheduled to throw two innings in a simulated game.

Manager Bob Melvin said Johnson took Sunday off and was expected to play catch today. If all goes well, he will throw about 50 pitches against live hitters on Tuesday, Melvin said.

Tentative plans had called for Johnson, who threw two bullpen sessions this week, to throw one more bullpen session before facing hitters, but Melvin said the team is not speeding Johnson's return.

"Not accelerating," he said. "We're staying consistent with how he feels and where we want to go at that particular time frame."

Melvin said he has not spoken with Johnson about what might come next, but he guessed that Johnson would throw to live hitters at least one additional time.

Johnson has been on the disabled list since July 3 with pain stemming from his sciatic nerve and the herniated disk in his back. A surgery similar to the one he had last off-season could be needed, but Johnson is attempting to pitch through the discomfort.

Running man
Eric Byrnes said it took him awhile to break himself of the tentative base-stealing habits he developed while with the Oakland A's.

"In Oakland, it was the ultimate sin if I got thrown out on the base paths," he said.

In his second season with the Diamondbacks, he has been much more aggressive, and on Sunday he stole his 26th base of the season (in 32 attempts) to establish a career high.

Byrnes' aggressiveness is useful for a Diamondbacks' team struggling to score runs. At least it did on Sunday, when his first-inning stolen base helped lead to a run.

"We're not going to be pounding balls over the fence, that's not the type of team this is," he said. "We have to create runs."

Owings' spot
Melvin said that despite starter Micah Owings' struggles, his spot in the rotation is not in jeopardy.

"We haven't lost any confidence in him," Melvin said.

But Owings still could be squeezed out. With Johnson nearing a return, someone will have to go, and Yusmeiro Petit has outpitched Owings in recent weeks.

Hernandez rumors
An ESPN.com report suggested that right-hander Livan Hernandez is being shopped on the trade market, but a Diamondbacks official sounded doubtful that a trade would occur.

The club believes it wouldn't get enough in a trade to offset the value of compensation draft picks it would receive should Hernandez depart as a free agent in the winter.

Short hops
Chad Tracy said his injured right knee felt better the past couple of days, but he will still undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam this morning to learn the extent of his injury.

• The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms on a contract with Wes Roemer, a right-hander out of Cal State Fullerton whom the club drafted No. 50 overall last month. He will report to short-season Yakima.