High & Inside: NL Notes

Is there anything worse than a basebrawl? On Tuesday night, the Rockies' and Dodgers' benches emptied when Los Angeles outfielder Matt Kemp and Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba went at it.

In the eighth inning, Kemp struck out on a pitch in the dirt. As Torrealba retrieved the ball, he accidentally bumped Kemp before tagging him. Kemp, frustrated after going 0 for 4, then shoved Torrealba in the face with both hands, and all heck broke loose. They tickled each other on the ground as the dugouts cleared. Thankfully, that was the extent of the fight as order was restored.

But really, would it have possibly escalated if baseball had a rule that forbade any player from leaving the bench or entering the field of play? The argument against that has always been the potential disadvantage a batting team could be in. But it's hard to see how a man with a bat could be in any severe danger.

After a second MRI exam on his surgically repaired forearm, lefthander Noah Lowry of the San Francisco Giants will not be throwing anytime soon. He could be done for the season.

"That's questionable," manager Bruce Bochy said. "We don't know if he will be back on the mound this year. It's fair to say we're getting to that point that it's a fair question."

Lowry, 27, was sidelined April 30 after he continued to feel tingling in his left forearm. He underwent surgery to repair nerve damage in March.

He has not pitched this season and is on the 60-day disabled list. Lowry is 40-31 with a 4.03 ERA in 106 big-league games.

Pedro Martinez pitched six effective innings in his first start since April 1 as the Mets beat the Giants, 9-6, Tuesday night. Martinez allowed three runs and had two hits and an RBI with the lumber.

Is Chipper Jones a Hall of Famer? The season he is having - .409, 13 homers and 38 RBIs - seems to say so. But take a look at the 36-year-old Braves third baseman's career statistics entering last night:

Games   Runs   Hits   2B   3B   HR   RBI   AVG.   

1,950   1,338   2,202   436   34   399   1,337   .310

High & Inside says he's a shoo-in.

The Cincinnati Reds placed outfielder Ryan Freel on the 15-day disabled list and recalled outfielder Corey Patterson from triple-A Louisville. . . . The Rockies announced that leftfielder Matt Holliday would begin a rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Colorado Springs today. . . . The Marlins recalled catcher Paul Hoover from triple-A Albuquerque, filling the roster spot of lefthander Taylor Tankersley, who was optioned to Albuquerque. Florida second baseman Dan Uggla was away from the team yesterday for the birth of his child. He is expected to return for today's game. . . . Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and outfielder Rick Ankiel were out of the starting lineup against Washington last night because of injuries. Pujols (.362, 14 homers, 39 RBIs) had tightness in his left calf, and Ankiel (.261, eight homers) had an infected left knee.