Player Notes

OF Marlon Byrd went 2-for-5 Sunday with a two-run homer to finish the month with a .393 average and 20 RBIs. The 20 RBIs tie his August total from a year ago for the highest monthly total of his career. Byrd raised his batting average from .241 to .299 during the month.

The Associated Press reports Washington Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman hit his 10th homer and drove in two runs Monday, Sept. 1.

2B/SS David Eckstein was acquired from Toronto on Sunday, hours before the deadline for postseason eligibility. Eckstein, 33, is expected to play second base and hit at the top of the order. He was hitting .277 in his first season with the Blue Jays, who signed him to a one-year free agent deal last winter. "You can't have too many good players," D-backs manager Bob Melvin said.

OFs Carlos Quentin [right forearm] remained on the shelf Wednesday, but manager Ozzie Guillen received a good reports on him, enough so that he felt with Thursday an off day, Quentin could be back for the weekend series with the Angels on Friday. Quentin said his forearm was feeling better each day.

Hamilton, who took himself out of Saturday night's game because of intense pain related to the root canal procedure he had on Wednesday, drilled an 0-1 changeup from John Lackey in the first inning on Sunday for his 30th homer and major league-leading 117th RBI.
Advice: Hamilton is still having an outstanding season, but he has not kept up his first-half pace in terms of production. He's just 4-for-33 with two RBIs in his last eight games.

1B Mark Kotsay played first base on Wednesday afternoon for the first time in over two years after 1B Kevin Youkilis' bad back kept him out of the lineup. Kotsay has primarily been a centerfielder through his 12-year Major League career, but has played 28 games at first base in his career. Kotsay looked smooth at first base, and is likely to play the position again during his stint with the Sox. "His actions are good," manager Terry Francona said. "He just hasn't been out there very much. You don't want to put somebody in a position where they make an error because of, not inexperience, but he hasn't been out there a long time. But he has no problems with this."

LHP Kenny Rogers might be nearing the end of the line. Rogers has not pitched consistently well since the All-Star break and his start against the Los Angeles Angels fit that pattern. Rogers was able to throw first-pitch strikes, but once he did that the Angels hit him. He gave up four straight singles to start the third before being relieved and wound up allowing eight hits in two-plus innings. Rogers, 43, has lost three straight starts and seven of eight.

Butler homered twice and drove in four runs in the Royals' 13-3 win over Detroit on Saturday.
Advice: Butler, who went 2-for-4 on Sunday, seems to have finally found his stroke. He's hit in each of his last seven games, batting .464 (13-for-28)

LF Delmon Young was out of the starting lineup Wednesday because of lingering pain in his ankle. Young first jammed his ankle Aug. 18 and has been playing through some pain since, manager Ron Gardenhire said, but on Tuesday in Toronto Young told Gardenhire late in the game that if the left fielder reached base the skipper would likely need to pinch run for him. That was enough for Gardenhire to spell Young Wednesday.