Yankees’ Irabu Loses Spot in Rotation

Hideki Irabu has lost his place in the New York Yankees’ rotation, for now. He has not lost the support of owner George Steinbrenner, at least not yet.

A day after Steinbrenner called the Japanese pitcher a “fat . . . toad,” the Yankees said Friday that Ramiro Mendoza will start in place of Irabu on Wednesday at Oakland.

Asked how long Mendoza would pitch in Irabu’s spot, interim manager Don Zimmer declined to say. Irabu stayed at the team’s camp in Tampa, Fla., while the Yankees traveled to Los Angeles for exhibition games against the Dodgers tonight and Sunday.

Irabu raised Steinbrenner’s ire Thursday by failing to cover first base in a spring game for the second time in a week. Steinbrenner indicated the pitcher may not rejoin the Yankees on Tuesday, as previously expected.

“When we feel he’s right, which hopefully will be Tuesday. That’s just a target. . . . He may not be quite ready yet,” Steinbrenner said. “I think he’ll join the team hopefully understanding that if nothing else, there is one guy in the Yankee picture that is his friend and supporter and that’s probably the most important guy of all, me.”

Steinbrenner sounded a little more forgiving about the play at first base, saying his “toad” remark was “ill-timed.”

But Steinbrenner added that Irabu’s weight of 252 pounds, which is 12-14 pounds above the Yankees’ goal, is a concern, adding “252 pounds is crazy . . . it’s insanity.

“He’s failed to do the job--our trainers, our general manager, right down the line--we have failed to work with him to get that weight down. He is far too heavy,” he said.

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The Baltimore Orioles reshaped their roster, getting Jeff Conine in a trade with the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Chris Fussell and announcing they would waive Chris Hoiles. . . . Mark McGwire hit the roof of RFK Stadium with a fair ball during batting practice but did not homer during the St. Louis Cardinals’ 5-4 exhibition loss to the Montreal Expos at Washington. . . . The Cleveland announced that for the fourth consecutive season they have sold their entire ticket supply at Jacobs Field before opening day. The Indians hold the major league record with 292 consecutive sellouts, a streak that began on June 12, 1995. It is the longest streak in pro sports for a venue with a seating capacity of more than 22,000. . . . Right-handed pitcher Mark Leiter was put on the disabled list by the Seattle Mariners, retroactive to March 26. . . . Catcher Raul Casanova of the Detroit Tigers was diagnosed with a benign tumor on his cracked seventh rib. The diagnosis came Thursday, the same day Casanova was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a back strain. According to a Tiger spokesman, surgery for the 26-year-old is “likely.” . . . Pittsburgh Pirate shortstop Pat Meares will be sidelined five to seven days because of a sprained left wrist and will sit out opening day Monday against the Expos. . . . The Atlanta Braves signed free-agent right-hander Marc Pisciotta to a contract with Triple-A Richmond. . . . Journeyman knuckleballer Dennis Springer, who has to fight for a job every season, won a spot in the Florida Marlins’ rotation only because they decided to begin the season with five starters instead of four. “It’s a nice little release of pressure,” said Springer, who went 3-11 with a 5.45 ERA for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays last year. “Every year it’s been like this. I’m an insurance policy guy. I’m always the 11th or 12th guy on a staff.” The Marlins kept Springer because he can be used as a reliever between starts. For example, he’ll be in the bullpen for the first two games of the season Monday and Tuesday, then make his first start next Saturday. . . . An exhibition between the Denver Rockies and the Boston Red Sox at Denver was snowed out because of five inches of snow and temperatures in the 20s.