01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, May 14, 2005

Florida infielder Wilson Delgado and Kansas City utilityman Luis Ugueto were among four players given 15-game suspensions yesterday for violating baseball's minor league steroids policy.

Pitcher Jeremy Cummings of St. Louis and first baseman Joshua Pressley of Kansas City were also suspended.

Sixty-three players have been suspended this year for violating the minor league program. Five players have been given 10-day penalties for violating the major league program.

Delgado is hitting .244 with two home runs in 33 games for Triple-A Albuquerque this year. He played in 42 games last year for the New York Mets, hitting .292 with two home runs. He has a .251 batting average and five homers over parts of nine major league seasons with San Francisco, the New York Yankees, Kansas City, St. Louis, the Angels and the Mets.

Ugueto, who played for the Seattle Mariners in 2002-03, is batting .213 with one homer in 27 games for Triple-A Omaha. In 74 major league games, Ugueto batted .214 with one homer.

Cummings has a 3.86 ERA in seven appearances for Triple-A Memphis this season, striking out 12 in 14 innings.

Pressley, a 6-foot-6 225-pound first baseman, is batting .325 with a .521 slugging percentage and four homers for Double-A Wichita.

ROUNDUP

DUCKWORTH DEMOTED: The Houston Astros sent right-hander Brandon Duckworth outright to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday. Right-handed reliever Mike Burns' contract was purchased from Round Rock to replace Duckworth on the roster. Duckworth, out of minor league options, was recently placed on waivers by the Astros. Houston was able to send him to the minors once he cleared waivers. He is 16-21 in 3 1/2 seasons in the majors, but was 0-1 with an 11.40 ERA in six appearances this season, including two starts.

TRIBE ACTIVATES GERUT: Indians outfielder Jody Gerut was activated from the 15-day disabled list yesterday and optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, where he has been playing since May 3 while recovering from knee surgery. Gerut, who homered and had five hits Thursday for the Bisons, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last September. His rehab assignment at Buffalo ended yesterday, and the Indians chose to use one of the two remaining options on the 27-year-old instead of bringing him up to the majors.

CARDS MAKE MOVES: The St. Louis Cardinals activated closer Jason Isringhausen from the 15-day disabled list yesterday and purchased the contract of left-handed pitcher Gabe White from Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals also optioned catcher Mike Mahoney to Memphis. Isringhausen went on the DL April 27 with a strained abdominal muscle after recording seven saves in seven opportunities.

SURGERY FOR ROLEN: St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen had arthroscopic surgery yesterday to repair a small tear in the labrum of his left shoulder. Dr. George Paletta, the Cardinals' team physician, diagnosed the injury and performed the surgery at Barnes West Hospital in St. Louis.

TIGER ON DL: The Detroit Tigers placed outfielder Bobby Higginson on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, retroactive to May 6, with a sore right elbow.

VIDRO STILL HURT: Washington Nationals second baseman Jose Vidro is expected to miss at least three more weeks after an MRI exam yesterday showed a partially torn tendon on the outside of his left ankle.