Brewers’ Fielder suspended by league

He’ll miss three games for his confrontation with umpire Wally Bell.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — Prince Fielder was suspended for three games by the commissioner’s office Wednesday, leaving the Milwaukee Brewers without their top slugger in the middle of a pennant race.

Fielder was suspended and fined an undisclosed amount for “inappropriate and aggressive conduct” during a confrontation with plate umpire Wally Bell on Sunday, when the Brewers lost 6-4 at Houston. The first baseman was ejected after arguing a called third strike and had to be restrained by bench coach Dale Sveum.

Unless he appeals, Fielder was due to begin serving the penalty Wednesday night when Milwaukee hosts the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. The Brewers began the day in first place in the NL Central, 11⁄2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs.

Fielder, the starting first baseman for the NL in the All-Star game last month, is having a breakout season at the plate. A leading candidate for MVP, he entered the day leading the league with 37 home runs. He was batting .288 with 89 RBIs and a .618 slugging percentage, second in the league to Florida’s Miguel Cabrera (.619).

Griffey against double switches

CHICAGO — If Reds slugger Ken Griffey Jr. has his way, he won’t be involved in another double switch.

Griffey was replaced on defense during a double switch in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. Griffey, who has won 10 Gold Gloves, was surprised by Reds interim manager Pete Mackanin’s decision.

“It was the first (time in my career) and it will be the last,” he said before Wednesday’s game against the Cubs.

Griffey, who ranks sixth on the career list with 590 career home runs, is hitting .274 with 27 home runs and 74 RBIs.

Also, the Reds put shortstop Alex Gonzalez on the bereavement list and replaced him with infielder Mark Bellhorn.

Bellhorn went to Triple-A Louisville after being designated for assignment by the Reds after Sunday’s game. He rejoined the Reds in Chicago Wednesday night.

Gonzalez is staying at home with his ill 10-month-old son, the third time he has been on the bereavement list this season. The Reds said there was no timetable for his return.

Bellhorn, 32, batted .167 with no home runs during his earlier stint with the Reds.

The Reds also moved veteran infielder Juan Castro, who recently had season-ending elbow surgery, to the 60-day disabled list.

Phillies put Eaton on DL

WASHINGTON — The Philadelphia Phillies put right-hander Adam Eaton on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday.

Eaton is 9-8 with a 6.36 ERA, but has given up 16 runs in 12 2-3 innings over his last four starts. The move is retroactive to Aug. 11.

Philadelphia recalled left-handed pitcher Mike Zagurski from Triple-A Ottawa to take Eaton’s place on the roster. Zagurski is scheduled to report Thursday for the Phillies’ game in Washington.

Eaton had been scheduled to start Friday in Pittsburgh, but right-hander J.D. Durbin will instead make his fifth start for the Phillies. Durbin is 4-2 with a 4.14 ERA in 10 games.

Zagurski is 0-0 with a 2.00 ERA in seven games with Ottawa. In an earlier stint with Philadelphia, he was 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA in 23 games.

Signings

BOSTON — Top pick David Price and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays agreed to an $11.25 million, six-year contract, hours before the midnight deadline for teams to lock up their draft selections. Price, a hard-throwing lefty out of Vanderbilt, gets a $5.6 million signing bonus and is guaranteed $8.5 million as part of the deal. ... The Mariners and first-round draft pick Phillippe Aumont agreed on a contract with a $1.9 million signing bonus. Aumont, a right-handed pitcher selected 11th overall in June, has a 96 mph fastball.