For Starters, Indians Are Short

When the Cleveland Indians end spring training and head north this weekend to start the regular season, two of their starting pitchers, Charles Nagy and Jaret Wright, will be on the disabled list and in Florida.

The right-handers, each attempting to come back following surgery, will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list and remain at the Indians’ training facility in Winter Haven for extended spring training.

“The feeling with both of them is that we need to increase their volume and put them through the rigors of what a starting pitcher goes through to determine whether they can handle that,” Indian General Manager John Hart said Sunday.

Nagy, one of baseball’s most consistent pitchers the past decade, has impressed the Indians with his courage this spring. The 33-year-old has no cartilage left in his right elbow and has been pitching through the pain, which he insists is tolerable.

Wright, who had shoulder surgery in August, has made only one appearance against major leaguers this spring, pitching two innings Friday night against Kansas City. It was the first time Wright had faced major league hitters since June 2.

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New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, who has been sidelined by a right quadriceps injury, might be used as the designated hitter in a minor league game Tuesday in Tampa, Fla.

Jeter has played in only five games this spring. Plans call for Jeter, who also missed time with a right shoulder injury and a viral throat infection, to resume running Tuesday morning and possibly play in the afternoon game.

The Yankees have not ruled out Jeter starting the season on the disabled list. But he said team officials have not discussed that possibility with him.

“They haven’t told me that,” Jeter said. “You can’t make that decision now. You have to wait. I don’t feel it walking around. The only time it bothers me is running. It’s a part of my game that I use probably the most. That’s why they are being cautious.”

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Edgar Martinez and the Seattle Mariners agreed on a one-year contract extension with a club option for another season. The deal means the Mariners can keep the 38-year-old designated hitter in Seattle through the 2003 season. After Martinez had a career year in 2000 with career bests of 37 home runs and 145 RBIs, the Mariners picked up the option in his contract for $5.5 million this season. . . . The Yankees obtained Carlos Almanzar from the San Diego Padres for David Lee in an exchange of right-handed relievers. Almanzar, 27, appeared in 62 games last season, going 4-5 with a 4.39 earned-run average. Lee, 28, was in seven games with the Colorado Rockies, posting an 11.12 ERA.