Commissioner weighs meeting with Giambi

NEW YORK - The commissioner's office and the players' association have held discussions about setting up a meeting with Jason Giambi to discuss his reported comments about steroids last week, but nothing was firmed up Monday.

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," the New York Yankees designated hitter was quoted as saying in Friday's editions of USA Today, which some have interpreted as an admission of steroids use.

Baseball management and the union didn't agree to ban steroids until late in the 2002 season, and it would be difficult for baseball to penalize a player for use of performance-enhancing substances before that agreement. It is unclear what, if anything, Giambi would say to baseball officials. His agent, Arn Tellem, declined comment.

"What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said: 'We made a mistake,"' Giambi was quoted as saying. "We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. ... Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."

ChiSox squabbles

Chicago White Sox starter Mark Buehrle said yesterday there is no animosity between him and catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

Buehrle defended reserve catcher Toby Hall on Sunday after Pierzynski went on a Chicago radio station Friday and said he was disappointed because he wasn't in the lineup for the interleague opener against the Cubs.

Those comments and subsequent ones by the show's host led White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to go on a profanity-laced outburst toward the host after he phoned in from his car.

Buehrle defended backup catcher Toby Hall, who started in place of Pierzynski on Friday.

"I think it is disrespecting Toby," Buehrle told the Chicago Tribune before Sunday's game against the Cubs. "It's kind of saying: 'You can't do your job.' I don't see where he has to be in there just because it's a big rivalry. That doesn't matter. He needs a day off. Whether it's against the Cubs or anyone else, he needs a day off."

Buehrle said he talked to Pierzynski before yesterday's game against Oakland and straightened things out.

Yankees' bullpen sessions

New York Yankees rookie Phil Hughes threw 25 pitches yesterday during his first session on a half-mound since straining his left hamstring three weeks ago.

The 20-year-old, considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, also jogged on the outfield warning track and took part in agility drills at the Yankees' minor-league complex. Hughes was injured on May 1 in the midst of a no-hit bid against the Texas Rangers in his second major-league start.

Left-hander Kei Igawa threw 56 pitches in a bullpen session, two days after he allowed two unearned runs over four innings during his first start for Class A Tampa.

Outfielder rejoins Rangers

The Texas Rangers activated outfielder Frank Catalanotto from the 15-day disabled list and sent infielder Travis Metcalf back to Double-A Frisco.

Catalanotto was batting .140 in 18 games before going on the DL May 1 with tendinitis in his right biceps. He played one rehabilitation game at Frisco and four at Triple-A Oklahoma, where he hit .385 with two doubles and five runs.

Rockies activate Matsui

The Colorado Rockies activated second baseman Kaz Matsui and optioned Omar Quintanilla to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Matsui missed 32 games with lower back spasms. Matsui, who was in the lineup for last night's game against Arizona, hit .361 (13 for 36) with three RBI in nine games before the injury.

Quintanilla hit .256 (11 for 43) in 14 games in his third stint with the Rockies.