Diamondbacks cut ties with Ortiz

The Arizona Diamondbacks decided they would rather eat the remaining $22 million of Russ Ortiz's contract than keep him on their roster. The club designated the struggling righthander for assignment, which means it has 10 days to trade, waive or release him. The team is on the hook for the balance of the $33 million, four-year contract Ortiz signed in December 2004, a figure general manager Josh Byrnes said was close to $22 million. Ortiz, 32, was 0-5 with a 7.54 ERA in six starts this season, and 1-14 in his last 19 starts dating to last year . . . An arrest warrant for Dmitri Young was issued in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., after the Detroit Tigers designated hitter failed to appear for a pretrial hearing on a domestic violence charge. Young is accused of choking a 21-year-old Toledo, Ohio, woman April 14 at a Birmingham hotel. Young went on the disabled list late last month with a strain in his right quadriceps . . . San Diego Padres minor league pitcher Jonathan Ellis was suspended 50 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

New Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore wasted little time in putting together his front office. Moore, hired May 31 to turn around the woeful franchise, selected Cincinnati Reds assistant general manager Dean Taylor as vice president of baseball operations and Muzzy Jackson, a longtime Kansas City executive, as vice president of player personnel . . . Chris Duffy, who began the season as Pittsburgh's starting center fielder, ended a monthlong walkout, and reported to the Pirates' extended spring training camp in Bradenton, Fla. He will be assigned to Triple A Indianapolis. Duffy was optioned to Indianapolis May 14 after batting .194 in 31 games, but declined to report . . . Yankees righthander Octavio Dotel allowed a single, a double, and the homer and hit a batter, all with two outs, in a brief rehab appearance for Triple A Columbus . . . Cubs righthander Mark Prior allowed one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings in a rehab start in Metairie, La. . . . Phillies starter Randy Wolf left his second rehab start with Single A Clearwater after he was hit on the left hand by a line drive.

James Blake defeated Justin Gimelstob, 7-5, 6-1, in an all-American match at the grass-court Queen's Club tournament in London, a tuneup for Wimbledon. The former Harvard star, ranked No. 7 in the world, missed his first set point while leading, 5-4. But he closed it out on his third chance with a lob to the baseline that Gimelstob couldn't return. American Mardy Fish topped British wild card Jamie Baker, 6-1, 6-3, to set up a second-round match against top-seeded Rafael Nadal. In another all-American matchup, Robby Ginepri rallied to defeat Paul Goldstein, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 . . . At Halle, Germany, Marat Safin edged 2005 finalist Florent Serra of France, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open.

Lisa Leslie scored 26 points and Chamique Holdsclaw added 22 as host Los Angeles defeated Phoenix, 98-84. Diana Taurasi scored a career-high 32 points for the Mercury (2-5) . . . Chasity Melvin scored the first 8 points of the fourth quarter, spurring a 12-0 run that led the host Washington to an 87-70 victory over Charlotte in WNBA action . . . Tamika Catchings scored 8 of her 30 points in overtime for Indiana, including the tying free throw with 14 seconds left and the winning jumper with 0.1 seconds to go against host New York . . . Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson, teammates on the Houston Comets team that won the first four WNBA championships, were selected to the league's All-Decade team. Lisa Leslie, who led the Los Angeles Sparks to the next two championships, in 2001 and 2002, also made the list, along with the Seattle Storm's Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird, who won the title in 2004. The 10-player team also includes Tamika Catchings of Indiana, Yolanda Griffith of Sacramento, Detroit's Katie Smith and Houston's Dawn Staley.

Barbaro had the cast replaced on his shattered right hind leg, another huge stride in the recovery of the Kentucky Derby winner who suffered a life-threatening injury at the Preakness. Barbaro's cast was replaced under general anesthesia, and the 3-year-old bay colt had a very smooth pool recovery, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center said in a statement . . . The New Jersey state Supreme Court refused to issue the Meadowlands' leading horse trainer, Ken Rucker, a reprieve while he appeals a ban the track issued last month after one of his horses tested positive for a prohibited drug . . . An advisory committee on thoroughbred racing in New York put out its request for bids to run the state's three major tracks. Established under a new law this year, the Committee on the Future of Racing has held public hearings, established a bid process and will determine which bidder could best run racing at Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga.

Car owner Chip Ganassi, who has an unexpected hole to fill on his NASCAR team, said IRL driver Dan Wheldon is not a candidate to replace Casey Mears . . . The Danbury (Conn.) Trashers, whose owner James Galante was charged in a federal Mafia indictment last week, will not compete in the United Hockey League next season . . . Six members of the Boston Cannons -- Conor Gill, Mike Battista, Chris Fiore, Chris Passavia, Chris Garrity, and Ryan Curtis -- will play in the Major League Lacrosse All-Star game July 6 at Boston University's Nickerson Field . . . The US women's soccer team will play Sweden July 15 in Blaine, Minn., Ireland July 23 in San Diego, and Canada July 30 in Cary, N.C.