Baseball notebook: Suzuki reaches hits milestone – STLtoday.com

Suzuki sets combined hits mark

With two hits Wednesday, Miami’s Ichiro Suzuki raised his career total in the Japanese and North American major leagues to 4,257, passing Pete Rose’s record Major League Baseball total by one.

“This wasn’t like a goal of mine to get to this point,” Suzuki said through a translator after visiting Miami’s 6-3 loss to San Diego.

Suzuki had 1,278 hits for Orix in Japan’s Pacific League (1992-00) and the rest with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Marlins.

Rose was quoted recently by USA Today as saying: “I’m not trying to take anything away from Ichiro, he’s had a Hall of Fame career, but the next thing you know, they’ll be counting his high-school hits.”

Suzuki responded to those remarks.

“He wasn’t happy about what they are saying about this record,” Suzuki said. “To be honest, this wasn’t something that I was making out as a goal. It was just kind of a weird situation to be in because of the combined total.”

Suzuki’s first hit Wednesday was on a dribbler in the first. His second was a double into the right-field corner in the ninth.

Melvin Upton Jr. homered and had two RBIs, and Derek Norris had a go-ahead, two-run single for the Padres, who stopped a four-game losing streak.

Rockies dump Reyes • Rather than activate Jose Reyes following his domestic violence suspension, Colorado cut the shortstop and almost certainly will be responsible for the $38 million remaining on his contract. He completed a 59-day suspension on May 31 for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, then went on a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment that was limited to 14 days.

The Rockies reinstated the four-time All-Star from the restricted list Wednesday and immediately designated him for assignment, giving the Rockies 10 days to trade Reyes or release him. Because the 33-year-old has five or more years of big-league service, he cannot be assigned outright to a minor-league team without his consent.

With Reyes suspended, Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story won the starting job out of spring training. He tied a major league rookie record with 10 homers in April and hit his 17th Tuesday.

Also, Rockies left fielder Gerardo Parra has suffered a sprained ankle and is expected to be put on the 15-day disabled list.

Elsewhere • The Royals designated infielder Omar Infante for assignment, probably ending his rather unproductive tenure in Kansas City. Infante, 34, is hitting just .239 with 11 RBIs. Unless he is traded or claimed on waivers — both unlikely — the Royals will owe him the rest of the $7.75 million due this season, $8 million next season then a $2 million buyout.

• Pirates ace Gerrit Cole expects to come back from a strained right triceps in time to pitch “a majority of the season.” He was put on the DL Tuesday, retroactive to June 11. There is no specific timetable for his return, but it sounds as if he will be sidelined more than the minimum 15 days.

• The Rays say their Pride Night game on Friday, dedicated to the victims of last Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando, is sold out. The Rays put all open seats to the game, against San Francisco, on sale for $5 with all proceeds benefiting the Pulse Victims Fund , set up for the families of the victims.

• Marlins ace Jose Fernandez will have his next start pushed back from Friday to Tuesday as the team monitors his innings in his return from Tommy John surgery.

• Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran was scratched from the lineup with a sore left knee for the second straight game.

• Giants first baseman Brandon Belt, who was hit on his right ankle by a pitch Tuesday, hopes to be back in the lineup Friday.

From news services