NL | Astros' Miguel Tejada admits being two years older

Houston shortstop Miguel Tejada is actually 33, two years older than he's listed in the club's media guide and other baseball records. He told the Astros his true age only after being shown a copy of his birth certificate by ESPN.

Saying he wanted to rid himself of a burden, Tejada approached general manager Ed Wade and asked to correct misinformation he gave the Oakland Athletics when he signed in 1993.

"I was a poor kid," Tejada said Thursday. "I didn't want or mean to do anything wrong. At the time, I was two years older than they thought."

Tejada was actually 19 when he signed out of poverty-stricken Bani, Dominican Republic. He says a local coach encouraged him to say he was 17.

ESPN said it showed Tejada a copy of his birth certificate from the Dominican Republic during an interview Tuesday. Tejada said at the start of the interview that he was born in 1976. After he was shown the birth certificate, he walked out of the interview, saying: "Right now I just play baseball, bro'. I just play baseball, and I don't have to be here to talk about this."

The Astros and Wade seem unconcerned.

"The fact of the matter is he's playing like he was 25," the GM said.

Tejada, a former American League MVP, was signed out of the Dominican Republic by Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, but said Marichal had no part in the deception.

Wade and Tejada both said the shortstop's green card, driver's license and other legal papers in the United States reflect his actual birthday, May 25, 1974.

Atlanta: Reliever Peter Moylan might need season-ending surgery on his injured right elbow. He's on the disabled list. ... Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann hit consecutive home runs against Florida — the first time in almost five years the Braves have done it.

Chicago: With OF Alfonso Soriano on the DL, the Cubs again started Mark DeRosa in left field. OF Felix Pie, batting .154, didn't play.

Cincinnati: 2B Brandon Phillips, hitless in his previous 10 at-bats, got the day off.

Florida: 2B Dan Uggla, batting .179, was given the night off against Atlanta.

Houston: OF Michael Bourn improved to 9 for 9 in stolen-base attempts. He leads the NL in steals.

Los Angeles: Dodgers 1B James Loney is one of two players in the majors to start this season with a 15-game hitting streak. The other is Pittsburgh OF Nate McLouth.

Milwaukee: 1B Prince Fielder's first home run came in his 54th at-bat. After 15 games last year, he also had only one homer before finishing with an NL-leading 50.

New York: OF Carlos Beltran expects to return to the lineup tonight after sitting Thursday because of a stiff neck.

Philadelphia: SS Jimmy Rollins, the 2007 NL MVP, missed his eighth consecutive game because of a sprained left ankle, but might return Saturday. The Phillies are 4-4 without him.

Pittsburgh: The Pirates' streak of 14 games with at least one error is the club's longest since a 15-game stretch in 1946. They lead the majors with 21 errors.

St. Louis: RHP Kyle Lohse extended his scoreless streak at home to 19 innings before Milwaukee scored against him in the eighth.

San Diego: RHP Greg Maddux will go for his 350th career victory today at Arizona, a day earlier than originally scheduled.

Washington: A CT scan on C Paul Lo Duca's bruised right hand came back negative, and the Nationals said he was day to day.

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