Not because he's been traded.
Manager Sam Perlozzo said Javy Lopez is out of the lineup because of lower-back stiffness, a condition that crops up once in a while. That's the official word.
Jay Gibbons is expected to remain in California for five to seven days while rehabbing his right knee. He could work out with the club for a few days once he returns to Baltimore, and embark on a minor league rehab assignment.
David Newhan was examined today by Dr. James Campbell at Johns Hopkins Hospital and told that his mobility, range of motion and strength were excellent. The next step for Newhan, on the disabled list with a fractured right fibula and torn ankle ligament, is getting a little more aggressive in his rehabbing. He'll go from jogging to sprinting, from little jumps to bigger jumps.
Newhan has another appointment on Aug. 4. Assuming there aren't any setbacks, he expects to be ready for a minor league rehab assignment.
I posed a trivia question yesterday that didn't exactly flood my e-mail address with responses. I pointed out that Jeff Conine is one of five active players to have at least two stints with three different clubs, and wanted to know if anyone could name the others.
One reader correctly answered Rudy Seanez (San Diego, Atlanta, Boston), Mike Stanton (Boston, Yankees, Washington) and Terry Mulholland (San Francisco, Cubs, Philadelphia).
The other player: Jose Hernandez (Cubs, Cleveland, Pittsburgh).
