01:00 AM EDT on Friday, April 21, 2006

Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee broke two bones in his right wrist in a collision with the Dodgers' Rafael Furcal and is expected to be in a cast for up to six weeks.

The reigning N.L. batting champion and two-time Gold Glove winner fractured the distal radial and distal ulna bones in a freak play during the seventh inning Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Furcal led off with a bunt single to the right of the mound. Reliever Scott Eyre dived for the ball and flipped it toward first base with his glove.

The ball sailed over Lee's glove as Furcal collided with him.

"Obviously, Derrek's a great player, great person, great teammate," general manager Jim Hendry said yesterday. "We feel badly, but we've got to move on."

Lee was examined by Cubs physicians yesterday in Chicago and is expected to go on the disabled list today.

ROUNDUP

ACCIDENT CLAIMS PAIR: New York Yankees minor-league manager Oscar Acosta and team official Humberto Trejo were killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. Acosta, the manager of the Gulf Coast Yankees of the Rookie League, and Trejo, the Yankees' field coordinator in the Dominican, were killed in an accident on a highway outside of Santo Domingo on Wednesday night.

ON TRIBE'S DL: Reliever Matt Miller was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow yesterday by the Cleveland Indians, who are hoping Rafael Betancourt doesn't have to join him. Miller, who made only one appearance in the second half of last season because of an elbow injury, left Wednesday night's 18-9 loss at Baltimore in the sixth inning complaining of soreness in his right arm.

PAVANO TO THROW BP: New York Yankees starter Carl Pavano could throw batting practice today for the first time since he bruised his left buttocks last month. He hasn't faced hitters since pitching one inning in a minor-league spring training game on March 30. He didn't make his exhibition season debut until March 28 because of a back injury.

GILES IS HURTING: Atlanta Braves second baseman Marcus Giles has a sprained ligament in his left middle finger, and the team plans to bring up infielder Martin Prado from Double-A Mississippi for tonight's game at Washington. Giles' injury was discovered in an MRI exam yesterday, two days after he was hurt.