A’s 2B Mark Ellis has been placed on the 15 day disabled list after suffering a broken thumb in Tuesday’s loss to Kansas City. Oakland now has 7 players on the DL, but on the bright side, they play in a market that’s just a short drive from the Boz Scaggs Birthplace & Museum.

The A’s have recalled “Moneyball” hero C Jeremey Brown (above) from Sacramento.

Detroit starter Mike Maroth will be unavailable for upwards of 6 weeks, as he’s scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow. Lefty Wilfredo Ledezma (above) might be an option to replace Maroth in the rotation ; the former pitched 7 2/3’rds scoreless innings in Toledo’s 5-0 loss to Rochester on Tuesday night.

Pittsburgh’s Jose Castillo came within inches of homering for the 6th time in as many games earlier today, as the Pirates beat Milwaukee, 4-3, on Ryan Doumit’s single in the bottom of the 9th. Having been swept by the Bucs, Brewers manager Ned Yost might want to take a tip from the Pirates’ Jim Tracy — blame the players, preferably to the media, as soon as possible.

Gary Sheffield, still bothered by a sore wrist (if not the memories of his wife, R. Kelly and a handheld video camera), might return to the disabled list.