Brewers' Gagne has rotator-cuff tendinitis

Milwaukee Brewers closer Eric Gagne was diagnosed with rotator-cuff tendinitis and is out indefinitely, although he will rejoin the team today in Washington.

After being examined in Milwaukee by the team's physician, Dr. William Raasch, the righthander received a cortisone injection and was told not to throw for 3 days. After that, Gagne will be re-examined and will not throw again until his shoulder feels better.

The Brewers don't plan to put him on the disabled list unless the shoulder does not improve soon, but that could change if they must use most of their bullpen in any game this weekend.

Gagne was lifted during the ninth inning of the Brewers' 7-2 win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday with right shoulder stiffness, allowing Jason Bay's two-run home run, walking two and throwing 26 pitches in his first appearance in a week.

After that game, Gagne said there was no structural damage in the shoulder and that the problem developed during the preceding week when he threw constantly between games to work out problems in his delivery.

With Gagne out, former Pirates reliever Salomon Torres will get most of the Brewers' save opportunities. He lost his job as the Pirates' closer after blowing six of 18 save opportunities last season.

"Our bullpen is what is it right now," manager Ned Yost said. "I'm happy with where it is."

Gagne, 32, signed to a $10 million, 1-year contract to shore up what was an unsteady Brewers bullpen, is 1-2 with a 6.98 ERA and 10 saves in 15 opportunities.

* Arizona lefthander Doug Davis, who has been recovering from thyroid-cancer surgery, was activated and will return to the rotation for a weekend series against Atlanta.

* The Mets placed veteran outfielder Moises Alou on the 15-day DL with a strained right calf.

* Braves righthander John Smoltz threw for the third straight day, and despite some control problems while pitching from a different arm angle, might be closer to his return from the DL.

* At San Diego, Khalil Greene hit two solo home runs to help lead the Padres over Cincinnati, 8-2. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 598th home run in the first inning for the Reds, his first in 90 at-bats, the second-longest homerless drought of his career.

* At Miami, Andrew Miller (4-3) limited the Arizona to five hits in seven innings, and Florida won, 4-0, to complete a series sweep in a showdown of first-place teams.

* At Pittsburgh, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady homered and the Pirates beat Milwaukee, 8-4.

* At Atlanta, Chipper Jones drove in the go-ahead run during a three-run seventh inning and the Braves beat New York, 4-2, to complete their first four-game sweep of the Mets in 5 years. *