Touch 'Em All: Dodgers skipper Mattingly rips team, executives

Discontent is brewing in Dodgerland: After benching star outfielder Andre Ethier against the Brewers on Wednesday, manager Don Mattingly took out his frustrations on the rest of the team.

"We're in last place in the National League West," he said. "Last year at this point, we played a lineup with nobody in it, but they fought, they competed and battled every inch. I felt like we got more out of our ability. I don't know if that team was tougher."

Then he blasted the bosses who assembled the second-highest payroll in baseball (not quite $217 million).

"It's not just putting an all-star team out there and the all-star team wins," he said. "You try to find that balance of a team that's got a little grit and fight . . ."

Tough words, but who can blame him? The Dodgers are just 19-26, and that has stoked talk that he's on his way out. Curiously, the buzz is that Mattingly will be replaced by Angels manager Mike Scioscia, whose team sports a 19-27 mark.

Tainted former slugger Jose Canseco's problems continue, the latest trouble coming in Las Vegas.

He has been accused of sexual assault there, although police said no charges have been filed against Canseco, who after hitting 462 home runs in the majors now plays for the Fort Worth (Texas) Cats of the independent North American League.

Canseco tweeted that he had been falsely accused.

After giving up eight runs in just 32/3 innings in the Twins' 8-3 loss to the Braves Wednesday, Vance Worley was optioned to triple-A Rochester. The righthander, acquired from the Phillies in the Ben Revere trade, is 1-5 with a 7.21 ERA in 10 starts.

- Wire reports