BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJORS : Pitching Proves Costly for Canseco

Jose Canseco said Thursday a torn elbow ligament definitely will end his season and that it may possibly end his baseball career.

Canseco said an examination by orthopedist James Andrews confirmed he had a tear in his right elbow, likely related to a brief pitching appearance in May. But the Texas Ranger right fielder said he wanted to “weigh the pros and cons� a day or two before deciding whether to have surgery.

“I figured, being very positive, maybe it was a strained ligament and it would heal without surgery,� Canseco said at a news conference. “But it’s a torn ligament.�

He said there was no guarantee the injury could be fixed even if he decided to have the operation. Asked whether his career might be over, the former Oakland Athletics star said: “Anything can happen.�

Canseco pitched an inning on May 29 at Boston in a 15-1 loss. Canseco said he felt a sharp pain in his elbow on his second pitch but stayed in and threw 31 more pitches.

“I didn’t really realize the severity of it at the time,� he said.

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Boston Red Sox ace Roger Clemens, still suffering from a strained right groin, will not come off the disabled list and start Sunday against the Seattle Mariners as the Red Sox had hoped. . . . Jim McKean will be the home-plate umpire for the All-Star game at Baltimore on July 13. The other American League umpires will be Mike Reilly at second base and Dale Scott in left field. The National League umpires will be Bob Davidson at first base, Gary Darling at third base and Mark Hirschbeck in right field. . . . Minnie Minoso, denied a chance to play in his sixth decade in the majors in 1990 by former commissioner Fay Vincent, appeared as the designated hitter for the St. Paul Saints in a Northern League game. Minoso, 70, grounded out to the pitcher in his only plate appearance Wednesday night.