AL Wire Notes | Hamilton slams Rays, drives in 5

With one big swing, Josh Hamilton put his old team away.

The one-time Tampa Bay prospect hit a grand slam and matched his career high with five runs batted in, helping Vicente Padilla and the Texas Rangers cool off the AL East-leading Rays 12-6 on Tuesday night.

Hamilton, the former No. 1 overall pick in the draft whose career with the Rays was derailed by drug addiction and injuries, had an RBI double off Andy Sonnanstine (6-3) in the first. The Rangers avoided a possible late-inning collapse when he added his second grand slam of the season in the eighth off J.P. Howell.

"It felt good ... especially in that situation," Hamilton said. "This is where I started, and it's my first home run here."

The five RBI matched a career best set May 16 against Houston and boosted Hamilton's season total to a major-league-leading 58.

Cleveland: Indians DH Travis Hafner was on the bench for the second straight game because of a sore right shoulder and could be headed for the disabled list.

Detroit: The Tigers placed Gary Sheffield on the 15-day disabled list with an oblique strain on his left side. Sheffield, who started Monday night's game as the designated hitter, was injured running out a grounder to shortstop in the third inning. He slowed up halfway down the line, grabbing his side, and was replaced by a pinch-hitter the next time he was due to bat in the sixth. This is the 12th time on the DL for the 20-year veteran and nine-time All-Star, who is hitting just .213 with three homers and 12 RBI in 39 games.

New York: Yankees C Jorge Posada is set to take a big step in his rehabilitation program for a sore right shoulder Thursday when he is scheduled to resume throwing to the bases in an extended spring training game. The five-time All-Star has been sidelined since April 27. Posada, batting .302 with one homer and 11 RBI in 63 at-bats, hopes to rejoin the Yankees around June 3. Posada played catch in the outfield and threw to the bases during a pregame workout Tuesday before he caught six innings and went 3 for 6 with a double in his second extended spring game. ... The Yankees signed veteran 1B Ben Broussard to a minor-league contract Tuesday and assigned him to Class AAA Scranton.

Texas: Rangers infielder Hank Blalock had a cortisone shot for carpal tunnel syndrome in his right wrist. Blalock originally went on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring injury on April 29, retroactive to April 26. He experienced soreness in the wrist last week.

Toronto: David Eckstein came off the disabled list and was back in Toronto's starting lineup playing shortstop and batting ninth. Eckstein went on the DL on May 8 retroactive to a day earlier with a strained right hip flexor, which he tested in five rehab games before being cleared to be activated.

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