Los Angeles Dodgers: Kevin Brown looks like he's back in form.

The Dodgers' ace, recovering from back surgery last June, pitched six shutout innings and struck out eight Wednesday in a 1-0 loss to the Montreal Expos.

Brown, who turned 38 on Friday, allowed three hits and walked none.

"The big thing is I'm able to throw the ball well," he said. "It's a huge relief. It's been a progression, but I'm still not where I want to be. I'm healthy, and it's a good feeling to be in a position to go out there every time my turn comes around and give the team a chance to win."

Brown, one of the most dominant pitchers in the 1990s, struggled last year following offseason shoulder surgery, then had an operation to repair a bulging disc in his back.

He was 3-4 in 10 starts and seven relief appearances in 2002.

"There were times when I questioned whether my velocity would come back," Brown said. " It's been that way since the back surgery. I feel closer to where I need to be after today. With more work and repetitions, maybe I can get back to where I need to be."

San Diego Padres: Pitcher Charles Nagy was taken to a hospital Wednesday night after being hit on the right forearm by a line drive from Arizona's Danny Bautista.

X-rays were negative.

Nagy, a right-hander, is trying to win the No. 5 spot in the Padres' rotation.

He was hit in the fifth inning. The Diamondbacks went on to win 3-2. Nagy allowed two runs, seven hits and two walks in 4 1-3 innings. He struck out five.

New York Yankees: Jose Contreras gave up one run and struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings as the Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 4-1 Wednesday night.

Contreras struck out five of his first seven batters, including three straight after allowing a second inning leadoff single to Ellis Burks. He threw 53 of 83 pitches for strikes. The right-hander allowed four hits, with two coming in his final inning. His only walk also came in the sixth.

Contreras struggled in his first three appearances before allowing two hits over five shutout innings against Tampa Bay last Friday. That strong outing came one day after his father, who had a stroke, was released from a Cuban hospital.

"During my first couple starts, I wanted to impress everyone, and I was overanxious," Contreras said through an interpreter. "The ball was up, and now you can see I'm getting the ball down."

The former ace of the Cuban national team has worked extensively on his mechanics with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre.

Contreras is a candidate to be the Yankees' fifth starter, which manager Joe Torre said he will probably name this weekend.

"Obviously, I'd like to start," Contreras said. "I've been starting my whole life. My objective is to get ready and prepare myself so when the team needs me I'm ready. They'll make the decision where I'm needed."

Florida Marlins:

Right-hander A.J. Burnett might miss his Opening Day start because of an inflamed elbow.

An examination by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday didn't reveal any ligament damage in the elbow. Burnett was given a cortisone shot to reduce the swelling.

Burnett left his last start on Saturday because of tightness in his forearm. He is expected to be out for three-to-five days and will be re-evaluated after he is cleared to throw.

"This is good news," general manager Larry Beinfest said. "This is the news we were hopeful we would get, just to rule out any ligament (injury) and to rule out the bone bruise from last summer. We are hopeful that he will re-crank up by the end of the weekend."

Burnett missed almost a month last August because of a bone bruise in his right elbow. He returned in September and made four starts.

"I think it does heighten the concern when you're talking about the elbow because there was some history there," Beinfest said. "But this seems to be a separate problem and a manageable problem."

Burnett was 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA in four starts this spring, covering 11 2/3 innings.

Chicago Cubs:

Closer Antonio Alfonseca had an MRI performed on his right hamstring Wednesday.

The Cubs won't know the results until Thursday, when a team doctor is scheduled to views the results.

The preliminary diagnosis is a strained right hamstring. Alfonseca was hurt Tuesday when he slipped fielding a groundball off the bat of Seattle's Randy Winn.

Boston Red Sox: Manager Grady Little didn't want a repeat of last year, so he decided not to have starter John Burkett pitch in a Triple-A game Wednesday, Boston's only off day this spring.

Burkett was injured in a similar game last spring and missed the first three weeks of the regular season. Little said Wednesday an outing could do more harm than good unless Burkett was completely prepared mentally.

"He needs the excitement of a big league game," Little said.

Little had been considering having Burkett throw a simulated game, instead, but said Burkett won't pitch until Monday.

Person confident he'll be on Red Sox roster
Robert Person thinks he's virtually assured a spot with the Red Sox.

"They gave me a nod. Nothing's in ink yet, but it's pretty much, yeah," he said after throwing two scoreless innings in a Triple-A game Wednesday.

Person's minor league deal contained a provision requiring Boston to put him on the roster by Friday. If he wasn't, he could sign with another team.

It's still unclear whether Person would start the season with Boston or perhaps stay in Florida for extended spring training as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

Manager Grady Little may carry 11 pitchers instead of 12, which could make it hard to fit Person into the bullpen.

But Person said he believes he'll be with the team on opening day.

"I see myself being with the team,'' he said. "That's what I'm here for. That's what I work hard for."

Person struck out two, allowed one hit and hit one batter on Wednesday.

St. Louis Cardinals: Outfielder Eli Marrero is in St. Louis to undergo tests for stomach irritation that has bothered him during spring training.

Marrero left spring training on Monday night, trainer Barry Weinberg said. He's expected to rejoin the team on Friday.

"He's having a whole battery of test run the next day or so," Weinberg said. "He just wasn't better, he wasn't all better."

Marrero missed five games from March 7-11 and missed his fourth straight game Wednesday when the Cardinals played the New York Mets.

If healthy, Marrero would be the Cardinals' opening-day right fielder because J.D. Drew is rehabilitating from offseason surgery for knee tendinitis. Marrero batted .262 last year with 18 homers and 66 RBI.

This spring he's batting .286 in 28 at-bats with no homers and six RBI.

Isringhausen bothered by stiffness in shoulder
Closer Jason Isringhausen felt stiffness in his right shoulder on Wednesday, perhaps postponing his first game this spring training.

Isringhausen, coming off surgery, had been scheduled to pitch Thursday against Baltimore if he had felt all right following his second batting practice, on Monday.

"I'll be surprised if he pitches tomorrow," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said after the Cardinals' 14-12 loss to the New York Mets. "He came in today and didn't feel that great, so I don't know if we'll push it tomorrow."

Before Wednesday, the Cardinals had been optimistic that he would be ready for the season opener.

Isringhausen threw harder in his first bullpen session on Friday. In his 25-pitch outing on Monday, he concentrated on location.

Steve Kline, who had six saves last year and has 29 the past three seasons, is the most likely candidate to fill in.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Lou Piniella isn't happy with Tampa Bay's batters.

The Devil Rays began Wednesday with a .232 spring batting average, the lowest among the 30 teams.

Tampa Bay had 13 hits, three each by Greg Vaughn and Ben Grieve, in a 4-4 tie with the Toronto Blue Jays, but the Devil Rays stranded six runners in scoring position.

"Our offensive numbers this spring are dismal," said Piniella, the team's new manager. "Some guys have done well -- I am not talking about everybody on the team.

"It isn't that hard to hit. It's hard to hit .330 or .340, but it's not hard to hit .240, 250 or .260. We need some offense help, and I hope we will be able to do something. This has persisted here for a couple of years. It isn't a three-week phenomenon."

Texas Rangers: Former Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Rangers' home opener.

The Rangers play Seattle on April 4 at the Ballpark in Arlington.

Smith will be joined by Everman High School senior Corey Fulbright for the first-pitch ceremony. Fulbright was paralyzed from the waist down in a December football game.