Goodwin Is Deemed Expendable by Giants

The San Francisco Giants designated veteran outfielder Tom Goodwin for assignment Sunday when they took utility infielder Ramon Martinez off the 15-day disabled list.

Goodwin signed a minor league deal with the Giants on April 17 after he was waived by the Dodgers during spring training.

He was recalled from triple-A Fresno of the Pacific Coast League May 7 by the Giants, who have spent all season searching for a reliable leadoff hitter.

Goodwin, the major league leader in stolen bases since 1995, batted .242 with five RBIs and five stolen bases in 24 games with the Giants.

The Giants made the move despite the poor play of fellow veterans Shawon Dunston, who’s hitting only .154, and Marvin Benard (.267). If Goodwin clears waivers, the Giants said they would welcome him back at Fresno.

Martinez is batting .301 with two homers and 10 RBIs, but he sustained a concussion this month when he was accidentally hit by a throw from teammate J.T. Snow.

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Boston pitcher John Burkett reiterated that he won’t go to the All-Star game in Milwaukee if he is selected, although he declined to say it was because of Commissioner Bud Selig.

“I have my reasons, and I don’t want to go into that, but I thought it out,” Burkett said before Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves.

On Friday, he told the Boston Globe he would boycott the game to protest Selig’s handling of labor negotiations.

If Burkett makes the All-Star team, he’ll receive a $50,000 bonus in addition to his $5.5 million salary this season.

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Center fielder Jim Edmonds of the St. Louis Cardinals was taken off the 15-day disabled list in time for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals at St. Louis.

Edmonds sat out 12 games because of a sprained right wrist sustained in a slide at home plate on May 31 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He entered the game batting .341 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 51 games. He doubled in three at-bats and scored a run.

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The Cleveland Indians put second baseman Ricky Gutierrez, who has a strained left groin, on the 15-day disabled list. He was injured while scoring the winning run from first base in Cleveland’s 2-1, 10-inning win over Baltimore on Thursday.... The Colorado Rockies put second baseman Jose Ortiz on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hamstring. Ortiz was injured in the first inning of Colorado’s 7-5 loss to Boston Wednesday.