LOS ANGELES (AP) -Milton Bradley is starting fresh with a new team in a familiar spot – the disabled list.
The 29-year-old outfielder was acquired by the San Diego Padres from Oakland for pitcher Andrew Brown on Friday. On Sunday, t he Padres placed Bradley on the 15-day DL Sunday, a move retroactive to June 21. Bradley, who has a strained left oblique muscle, is on the DL for the fourth time this year.
The Athletics are giving San Diego $1,360,929 to cover part of the approximately $2.05 million Bradley was owed for the remainder of the season.
Limited to 65 at-bats in 19 games this season due to three previous trips to the disabled list, the switch-hitting Bradley is hitting .292 with two homers and seven RBIs.
After being designated for assignment on June 21, Bradley spent the last week getting treatment from a friend who is a chiropractor.
He arrived at Dodger Stadium on Sunday and took some swings in the batting cage before the Padres put him on the DL.
“It’s definitely better,” he said. “I feel good swinging from the right side, left side bothers me. I just want to get healthy and help this ballclub out. It’s already a great team, so I’m just going to come in and add what I can and finish up the season strong.”
Bradley, who agreed to a $4 million, one-year deal with Oakland in the offseason, has always been known as much for his volatile behavior as his baseball skills.
He was suspended for the final five games of the 2004 season when he slammed a plastic bottle into the seats at Dodger Stadium after it was thrown on the field. Nobody was injured.
In 2005, he accused Dodgers teammate Jeff Kent of a lack of leadership and an inability to deal with black players.
Padres manager Bud Black said he met with Bradley on Sunday.
“I told him basically some things he’s probably already heard from some other managers,” Black said. “I told him our expectations as a team and told him we feel this is going to be a good place for him.”
Black said Bradley isn’t starting out on a shorter leash because of his past outbursts.
“We think he’s going to be fine,” the manager said.
Bradley said he admired the Padres from afar while playing for the Dodgers.
“It always seemed like a fun group and so far, so good,” he said. “Southern Cali has always been a preference of mine. To get traded here is very fortunate and good for me personally.”
Black said that once Bradley is healthy, “he’s going to get a lot of playing time. He’s experienced and capable at all three (outfield) positions. We feel as though he’s going to be a contributor.”
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