Torre Will Keep Irabu In Rotation

Joe Torre said Saturday he is leaving Japanese pitcher Hideki Irabu in his starting rotation and that Irabu would start Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

After Irabu (4-2, 7.07 earned-run average) was hammered in his last start against Oakland last Wednesday, giving up five runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings, Torre said he was considering demoting Irabu to the bullpen.

But because David Cone is on the disabled list and with potential No. 4 starters Irabu, Kenny Rogers and Ramiro Mendoza all unreliable, Torre will give Irabu another look.

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The Boston Red Sox signed outfielder Curtis Pride, only the fifth deaf player to make it to the big leagues, to a triple-A Pawtucket contract.

Pride, 28, batted .210 with two homers and 19 runs batted in in 79 games for Detroit this season. The Tigers outrighted him to the minors last Saturday, but Pride declined the assignment and decided to become a free agent.

Pride, who in 1993 became the first deaf player in major league baseball since 1945, played 34 games in left field and four games in right field for the Tigers this year.

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The Minnesota Twins traded outfielder Darrin Jackson to the playoff-hopeful Milwaukee Brewers for a player to be determined. Jackson, 34, hit .254 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 49 games for the Twins after they promoted him from triple-A Salt Lake on May 16.