New York Yankees: Second baseman Alfonso Soriano has recovered enough from tendinitis in his right shoulder to be the designated hitter Friday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Soriano, who has missed the last eight games, might play in the field early next week.

"He's very close," manager Joe Torre said Thursday. "He probably could play in the field, but I don't want to take that chance."

Soriano also missed the first three games this spring with a sore shoulder.

"He's not feeling anything," Torre said. "But again, he hasn't tested it to the point of a stressful throw."

New York catcher Jorge Posada was scratched from Thursday night's game against the Boston Red Sox with a paper cut on his right index finger. It happened while he was opening a box at home.

"He could have played, but throwing would have been a bother," Torre said. "Hopefully he'll catch tomorrow."

Bernie Williams is expected to return Friday after attending the funeral of his uncle in Puerto Rico. He is scheduled to play in Friday's spilt-squad game against Atlanta.

Steve Karsay (sore shoulder) reported no problems one day a bullpen session. Barring any problems in a bullpen session Friday, Torre said Karsay will pitch Sunday.

Cleveland Indians: Pitcher Brian Tallet was struck in the head by a line-drive Thursday but was not seriously injured.

The 25-year-old left-hander was pitching during an intrasquad game at Chain of Lakes Park when he was hit by a ball off the bat of teammate Victor Martinez.

Tallet was taken to a hospital for precautionary X-rays, but no serious injury was detected and no further treatment is required, team spokesman Bart Swain said.

Tallet, the team's second-round draft choice in 2000, is one of the top young pitchers in the Cleveland farm system.

Atlanta Braves: Rafael Furcal, playing for the first time in 11 days since he injured his left ankle, went 1-for-3 and scored a run as the Braves beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10-7 Thursday night.

Furcal, who had only four at-bats this spring before the injury, played four innings and made two routine plays at shortstop.

"That felt great, just to get back out and play in a game," Furcal said. "I've been taking batting practice and groundballs, but I couldn't move side to side because of my ankle so I couldn't get in a game."

Furcal had a career-high eight home runs last season and wants to improve his power numbers.

"I would like to make my mark in some different ways this season," Furcal said. "People think of me as a singles hitter, but I believe I can do more things. I just need to put the ball in play more often this year."

Manager Bobby Cox was pleased with Furcal's progress.

"Looked like he never missed a beat didn't he," Cox said. "That's a very good first game back. He wanted to keep playing, but that was enough for the first game."

Oakland Athletics: Barry Zito will pitch the Athletics' season opener in Japan, and the AL Cy Young winner also might pitch the A's opener back home at the Coliseum a week later.

Zito, who went 23-5 with a 2.75 ERA last season, got the nod from manager Ken Macha on Thursday after throwing 91 pitches in an intrasquad game on the A's day off.

"It's something that he deserves, and I'm sure he'll be looking forward to it," Macha said.

Because there are seven days between the A's Japan opener on March 25 and their stateside opener at the Coliseum on April 1, Zito probably will start both games.

Mark Mulder or Tim Hudson will pitch Oakland's second game against the Seattle Mariners in Japan, though Macha hasn't yet decided. The odd man out will be available to pitch in relief during the overseas trip.

News of his selection didn't distract Zito from his intense preparation for the season. He will make just one more start before the A's break camp for Japan.

"It's an effect, that's what it is," Zito said."I've got to keep working on the cause, but it's a great honor."

Hudson was the A's Opening-Day starter in 2001, and Mulder got the honor last season. Oakland's three stars have combined to win 113 games over the past three seasons, solidifying their reputation as baseball's best young trio of starting pitchers.

"People always ask me, 'Which one of them is the best?'" Oakland pitching coach Rick Peterson said. "It's whoever is pitching that day. Each one of them has established themselves as a legitimate opening day starter. What's remarkable is that none of these guys has any ego about it at all. They're all about team goals."

Macha has a few more decisions to make before the A's head for Japan. Since Oakland won't need a fifth starter until mid-April, the A's are likely to take an extra position player to Japan while allowing probable No. 5 starter Aaron Harang to keep working at Triple-A Sacramento.

Macha and Peterson also must decide whether No. 4 starter Ted Lilly will make the trip as a reliever, or stay home and keep working.

Kansas City Royals: Carlos Beltran has a strained muscle on his right side and said he will miss one-to-two weeks.

Beltran missed the Royals' past three spring training games and an MRI on Thursday revealed a strained oblique muscle.

Trainer Nick Swartz said there is no timetable for Beltran's return to the field. Swartz said Beltran would not workout for the next couple of days and would be reevaluated daily.

Beltran said he felt something in his right side on his final swing of batting practice on Tuesday.

The 1999 AL Rookie of the Year, Beltran is hitting .310 with one home run and 10 RBI in 10 spring training games.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Elmer Dessens pitched four more scoreless innings and Luis Terrero went 3-for-4 with a triple and a homer to lead the rizona Diamondbacks to a 11-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

"All my pitches are working and I'm feeling pretty good," said Dessens, who has not allowed an earned run in 14 innings this spring.

Dessens (4-0), in line to be Arizona's third starter behind Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, allowed three hits and struck out one.

Dessens came over from the Cincinnati Reds in December after posting a 7-8 record with a 3.03 ERA last season.

"It's almost boring," Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. "Elmer just throws quality strikes around the edges of the strike zone, around the bottom of the strike zone and he doesn't make any mistakes around the middle of the plate where he can get hurt."

San Diego Padres: They've already had a Charles Nagy Day. The pitcher, though, isn't ready to call it a day.

After 13 years and 129 wins in a Indians uniform, Nagy is trying to extend his career with the San Diego Padres. His attempt got a boost Thursday when he pitched four scoreless innings and got the decision in a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Angels.

Nagy allowed three hits and a walk while striking out three in an efficient performance that bettered any yet turned in by Kevin Jarvis or Francisco Cordova, Nagy's competition for the only open spot in the Padres' rotation.

"He knows how to pitch. He showed that today," general manager Kevin Towers said. "He's not going to overpower people like he did early in his career, but he gets all his pitches over for strikes and he's got a lot of movement.

"Between him, Jarvis and Cordova, he's the first to get four innings in."

When 31,428 fans gathered at Jacobs Field for Charles Nagy Day last Sept. 28, most figured it was his final day in a big-league uniform.

Nagy knew otherwise.

Elbow surgery and the Indians' youth movement brought a premature end to his career in Cleveland. But Nagy wasn't convinced his career numbers -- 129-103 record, 4.51 ERA in 313 games -- were final.

Nagy, 35, lives in the suburbs north of San Diego, so he called Towers for a job following the season. Towers, eager to find a bargain for his $43 million payroll, offered a make-good minor league contract that will pay Nagy $500,000 if he makes the big-league roster.

That's all Nagy wanted: a chance.

"The decision is out of my hands," Nagy said. "All I can do is go out and pitch. In my mind, I feel like I can still do it. If it doesn't happen here, maybe somebody else will see me and want to give me an opportunity.

"For now, I'm trying to make this club. That's my main focus."

Pittsburgh Pirates: A day after taking a line drive off his head, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennys Reyes laughed about it.

"All my life, I never liked having a big head until then," the left-hander said with a smile Thursday. "Now, I'm glad I don't have a small head. I might not have been so lucky with a small head."

Reyes was struck on the top of his head Wednesday by a line drive off the bat of Tampa Bay's Aubrey Huff during an exhibition game. Reyes was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg but released later Wednesday after doctors determined he had not sustained a skull fracture or concussion.

"My head is sore and I have a small lump, but I'm fine other than that," Reyes said. "It was scary. I feel I am very fortunate that nothing happened.''

Reyes temporarily lost his sight and had to fight to remain conscious.

"Everything was just very bright and I couldn't see anything," Reyes said. "My eyes kept trying to go shut but I wouldn't let them. I knew I had to stay awake. It was probably four or five minutes before I really started to be alert again and knew everything was going to be OK."

Reyes did not participate in drills Thursday but may be able to resume light activity Friday. The Pirates do not have a timetable for him to pitch again.

Houston Astros: Shane Reynolds gave up five homers and nearly touched off a fight by brushing back Brian Giles, but the Astros rallied behind Henri Stanley's two-run double in the eighth to beat Pittsburgh 8-7 Thursday.

In the latest of a series of flareups across the majors this spring, Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon yelled at Gregg Zaun in the fifth after the Houston catcher stared angrily at reliever Duaner Sanchez for hitting him with a pitch.

Zaun, who doubled and homered in his first two at-bats, looked as if he might charge the mound, but instead glared at Sanchez before throwing bat hard toward his own dugout.

That led Reynolds to throw behind Giles in the bottom of the inning, causing plate umpire Tim Welke to warn both dugouts. McClendon and Astros manager Jimy Williams both confronted Welke to complain, but the benches didn't empty and the game was finished without incident.

Reynolds must not have been too angry at the Pirates; he later went to their clubhouse to ride an exercise bike, and he chatted briefly with Giles.

"This has nothing to do with Brian Giles whatsoever,'' said Reynolds, who gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. "That had to do with my catcher. What am I supposed to do?''

Giles didn't complain, saying, "If he wanted to hit me with a pitch, he would hit me. He didn't come close. You've got to stand up for your players.''

McClendon didn't like the Astros' response but said, "As far I'm concerned, it's over with.''

Maybe not -- the teams play again Wednesday in Kissimmee.

Philadelphia Phillies: Ricky Ledee hit three homers, including a grand slam, and had nine RBI Thursday to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the Toronto Blue Jays 13-12.

Ledee went 4-for-6 and scored four runs. With a chance to hit his fourth home run in the ninth inning, the former New York Yankees' prospect hit a two-run single.

Ledee said "it crossed my mind'' to swing for the fences.

"The first three times I wasn't even thinking about homers,'' he said. "I just wanted to hit the ball good.''

The outfielder said he never had a day like this in his professional career.

"Not even in a week,'' he said.

Bobby Abreu added a solo homer for the Phillies. Orlando Houston hit a two-run homer for Toronto, and Chris Woodward and Eric Hinske had solo shots.

Carlos Delgado went 0-for-4, getting only one ball out of the infield. His average dropped to .174.

St. Louis Cardinals: Closer Jason Isringhausen was scheduled to throw batting practice Friday, his first time facing hitters since offseason shoulder surgery.

Isringhausen, who hopes to be ready for Opening Day on March 31, has thrown a half-dozen times in the bullpen. He had 32 saves last season for the NL Central champions.

"I think it's just part of the process,'' pitching coach Dave Duncan said. "He's getting bored throwing bullpens, and I think it's time to do something new.''

If Isringhausen isn't ready for the opener, the Cardinals likely would use several pitchers to close. Among the candidates are left-hander Steve Kline and right-hander Al Levine.

Kline had six saves last year while Isringhausen was out with shoulder injuries.

"We know that Kline can pitch in tough situations,'' Duncan said. "If he's right, you can put him in the toughest of situations and he's going to do a competitive job."

Pujols stays on hot streak
Albert Pujols continued his record hitting with a home run and RBI single Thursday to lead a Cardinals split squad past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5.

Pujols' two runs batted in extended his spring training team record to 18. The home run was his fifth, to go with five doubles.

Pujols said he's focusing harder in spring training to ensure that he gets off to a faster start in the regular season than last year.

"Last year I think I gave away a lot of at-bats early in the season and finally picked it up later," said Pujols, who finished 2002 with a .314 average after hitting .329 as a rookie in 2001.

"This year I want to make sure I lock myself in on all those at-bats I gave away and make sure I get a good swing on at least half of them."

Pujols' solo home run came in the fifth inning off Dodgers starter Hideo Nomo (0-2), who gave up nine hits and trailed 3-1 when he was removed after 4 innings when he reached his pitch count.

Nomo said through an interpreter than he felt fine physically but that his pitches "didn't have a lot of zip on them."

Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said Nomo has been experimenting with a subtle change in his delivery.