Jason

Grimsley

Grimsley had an X-ray and MRI after experiencing a tingling sensation in the forefinger and middle finger. ''Every time I touched it, it was tingling,’' Grimsley said. ''The tingling is gone today.’' The tests apparently didn’t show anything but Grimsley is being held out as a precaution.

His left hip cramped up again, and Grimsley may have to sit out a game or two to let the injury properly heal.

Grimsley has not allowed an earned run in his last 11 appearances.

The Orioles are going to wait a few days and then re-evaluate the injury after Grimsley attempts to throw on the side.

Grimsley was earlier cooperating in an investigation into steroid use after receiving a package containing two kits of human growth hormone April 19 at his Scottsdale home. Grimsley also told investigators that amphetamines were used “like aspirin” in major league clubhouses. He said some major league clubhouses served two types of coffee: with amphetamines or without and that Latino players were cited as a major source of amphetamines, as were major leaguers on California teams who could easily travel to Mexico to buy the drugs. While Grimsley reportedly named names during the investigation, none of those comments were released today.

It’s the first suspension handed down by the league that’s not the result of a positive test. Grimsley has already been released by the Diamondbacks and his career is probably over, so the suspension likely isn’t relevant. The big thing to be sorted out now is whether he’ll get the rest of the approx. $500,000 he was due to make this season. The Diamondbacks are saying that Grimsley was unfit to play and should not be compensated for the remainder of the season. The MLBPA will likely file a grievance on his behalf.

According to ESPN, Grimsley requested the move after having home searched as part of a steroids probe on Tuesday. If that’s the case, it would seem likely that the 38-year-old’s career is over. He had a 4.88 ERA in 27 2/3 innings this season. The Diamondbacks have yet to replace him on the roster, but Greg Aquino is a logical callup.

It was the 10th inning, there were two men on and Ichiro was hit on an 0-2 pitch. Clearly, umpire Rob Blake is the one who should have been ejected here.

The Diamondbacks had tried to get out of paying Grimsley the slightly more than $500,000 he was still owed at the time of his release. He will get the money now, but it will go four separate charities. “Two days after this whole incident [in June], Jason said to me that he wanted to see all of the money go to charity, if indeed he got paid,” agent Joe Bick said. “So that is what happened.” Grimsley, 38, has no plans to return to baseball.

Well, this Denny Bautista trade keeps looking better and better. Right after making the deal, the Orioles signed Grimsley to a one-year extension for 2005. Now it looks like he’ll be spending much of the season on the sidelines. Since he is a reliever, he does have a better chance of making it back for the second half than a starting pitcher would.