Low & Outside: AL Notes

Hitting guru Rudy Jaramillo is back home in Texas this weekend, as a visitor.

Jaramillo, who in the 15 seasons as hitting coach for the Texas Rangers tutored American League MVPs Alex Rodriguez, Ivan Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez, now works for the visiting the Chicago Cubs. The Dallas area is still the Jedi master's home.

Until this year, Jaramillo was the only hitting coach in the majors for Michael Young, the all-star third baseman who is a .302 career hitter. Young said it will be different seeing Jaramillo in a different uniform. No doubt.

The Baltimore Orioles have selected the contract of 26-year-old infielder Scott Moore from triple-A Norfolk and designated infielder Justin Turner for assignment.

Moore will likely be used at first base, where the Orioles have been plagued by a lack of production. Miguel Tejada is Baltimore's everyday third baseman.

Moore was batting .276 with Norfolk over 34 games. He played four games with the Orioles in 2008 and also saw limited action with the team in 2007. Turner, on the other hand, appeared in five games for the Orioles this season, going 0 for 9.

Yankees centerfielder Curtis Granderson is set to test his injured left groin in a rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Granderson has not played since May 1, when he was injured running the bases in Detroit. He shagged fly balls, ran in the outfield and took batting practice before the Yankees played the Mets at Citi Field on Friday night.

He says he will watch a couple of innings of the first Subway Series of 2010 to get a sense of the atmosphere before flying to Louisville, where he will join the team's top farm club on its road trip.

Shortstop Trevor Plouffe, who was drafted in the first round by the Twins in 2004, has finally made it to the bigs.

Plouffe's major-league debut came after he was recalled from the triple-A Rochester Red Wings and put in the lineup for Friday's game against Milwaukee, batting eighth.

Plouffe, who was hitting .303 with 11 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 21 RBIs in 38 games in the minors, is the latest player to fill in for regular shortstop J.J. Hardy, who is on the DL with a bruise in his left wrist.

Centerfielder Coco Crisp - born Covelli Loyce Crisp, long story - is finally ready to make his long-awaited debut with the Oakland Athletics.

The A's activated their new leadoff man in time for this weekend's Bay Bridge Series against the San Francisco Giants. Crisp came off the DL a day earlier than expected because manager Bob Geren was convinced his broken left pinkie finger is fully healed. And who could argue with that?