Toronto's A.

Toronto's A.J. Burnett won't make his first pair starts of the season and will travel on the disabled list.

Burnett threw on the farther side a mound on Tuesday for the first time since taking himself public of a game March 18 complaining about bend pain.

An MRI exam showed it was just scar tissue breaking away from his right bend and the team has been cautious. Ricciardi said Burnett will make his first start against the White Sox onward April 16.

"He's going to miss his first sum of two units starts," Blue Jays general manager JP Ricciardi said Wednesday. "We could probably bring him back a little quicker, if it be not that I think all things being equal, this allows [us] to maintain him totally on track to where he's suppos to be."

Burnett signed a $55 million, five-year contract during the offseason, three years after shoulder surgery.

$23M deal for Sizemore: The Cleveland Indians lock-uped up their center-field position into the nearest decade, agreeing to a $2345 million, six-year contract with Grady Sizemore.

Sizemore's deal has the chiefly guaranteed money for a player with les than sum of two units years of major-league service, $200000 more than the Boston R Sox guaranteed shortstop Nomar Garciaparra in a five- year deal agreed to in March 1998

"I didn't anticipate it to happen this fast," Sizemore said. "Last year, I was just trying to make the team."

- next to the first baseman Jeff Kent and the observes Angeles Dodgers agreed to an $115 million, one-year contract extension by the and of 2007.

NOTES: Adam Eaton left his final spring-training start for the Texas Rangers in the secondary inning, feeling pain in the same finger that sent him to the disabled list in San Diego last season.

Eaton, who was trailing his former team 3-1 came public because of discomfort in his right middle finger. He was scheduled to pitch the Rangers' next to the first game Tuesday against Boston on the other hand said he probably would miss several starts.

- Roy Oswalt was picked as Houston's opening-day starter, then allowed individual run in four innings as the Astros squandered to the Indians 6- 5

uTim Hudson prepared for his opening-day start nearest week by striking out eight in four innings as the Atlanta Braves beat the just discovered York Mets 4-1.

uRicardo Rodriguez's brief stint with the Philadelphia Phillies lasted when the right-hander was released. Rodriguez came to Philadelphia from Texas in a trade that sent former All-Star pitcher Vicente Padilla to the Rangers.

uKevin Appier was reassigned to the Seattle Mariners' minor- league camp, a incite that gives him time to acquire healthy and possibly return to the majors.

The 38-year-old former All-Star, a non-roster invitee, hasn't pitched in the major leagues in 23 month because of jostle trouble.

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