Cubs’ Farnsworth Breaks Right Foot

As if the Chicago Cubs needed more trouble, reliever Kyle Farnsworth broke a bone in his right foot Wednesday and probably will be sidelined from four to six weeks.

He’ll be put on the 15-day disabled list today. The Cubs didn’t announce who will take his spot, but it probably will be either Scott Chiasson or Carlos Zambrano, among the last relievers cut in spring training.

Farnsworth, the right-handed setup man, was warming up in the bullpen in the seventh inning when he felt something “pop” in his foot. X-rays showed a stress fracture in his right foot.

“I was just warming up, and I felt a pop. Just a freak thing,” said Farnsworth, who left Wrigley Field on crutches and with his foot wrapped in gauze and in a walking boot.

His injury could be a costly one for the Cubs. The hard-throwing reliever had a 2.74 earned-run average last season, and has a 0.00 ERA with two strikeouts in 11/3 innings this year.

“Our biggest fear was health, and that’s what we got,” said Jim Hendry, the Cubs vice president of player personnel. “He’s an integral part of our pitching staff and we’re certainly going to miss him.”

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Felipe Alou plans to decide today if he will accept the Detroit Tigers’ three-year offer to join the organization.

“I’m either going to my home in the Dominican Republic or I’m going to Minneapolis with the Tigers,” he said Wednesday from his home in Florida.

The Tigers want the 66-year-old former Montreal manager to spend at least one year as Luis Pujols’ bench coach, with an option to be a special assistant for two years.

Tiger president Dave Dombrowski was an Expo executive while Alou was with Montreal. Pujols was on Alou’s staff from 1993-2000.

Dombrowski hired Pujols as manager for the rest of the season and fired two coaches Tuesday, one day after dismissing Manager Phil Garner and General Manager Randy Smith.

“David Dombrowski will be successful, with our without me, I’m confident of that,” Alou said. “He’s done it in two places [Montreal and Florida] and he’ll do it in Detroit.

“And I will always be there for Luis, whether I’m his bench coach or not.”

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Ken Griffey Jr.’s injured right knee is healing quickly and he could return to the field in three to six weeks, the Cincinnati Red team doctor said after a re-examination.

There has been “vast improvement” in the knee since the All-Star center fielder partially tore the patella tendon and partially dislocated his kneecap during a rundown in Sunday’s game against Montreal, Dr. Timothy Kremchek said.

“Junior has a full range of motion,” Kremchek said. “I am convinced he is right on target to return in three to six weeks.”

Griffey, who began twice-daily physical therapy sessions on Monday, was put on the 15-day disabled list and stayed behind in Cincinnati as the Reds began a road trip in Pittsburgh.

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The New York Mets purchased the contract of outfielder Tony Tarasco from triple-A Norfolk, and sent outfielder McKay Christensen outright to the minor league team.

Tarasco was hitting .250 with four runs batted in in six games at Norfolk this year. He was with the Mets in spring training, hitting .237 with a homer and six RBIs in 24 games.

Christensen, claimed on waivers April 3 from the Dodgers, hit .333 in four games with the Mets.