Sports briefs 6/9/06

Baseball

n Federal agents tried to pressure Jason Grimsley into wearing a wire during private conversations with other players to gather incriminating evidence against Barry Bonds, an attorney for the former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher said.

"It was a specific effort to target Bonds," Edward Novak told the Arizona Republic for a Thursday story. "We were told that Jason's cooperation was necessary to their case."

Novak also told the newspaper that Grimsley denied volunteering names of fellow players, as reported in court documents released Tuesday.

* Mark Prior allowed three runs and four hits in five innings of a rehab start for Class AA West Tennessee on Thursday night.

Prior has been on the Chicago Cubs' disabled list all season because of a sore right shoulder.

The right-hander struck out four while his fastball was consistently clocked at 90 mph. Prior walked two batters and did not allow a hit after the second inning.

n Just as the Oakland Athletics welcomed back Esteban Loaiza from the 15-day disabled list to make a start on Thursday, Rich Harden returned to the DL with a strained ligament in his right elbow.

Harden had just come back from the DL with a torn oblique muscle and made only one start, pitching four innings on Sunday against Minnesota. But in the third inning, his sore elbow became worse.

Oakland head trainer Larry Davis said Harden, who is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA, will not need surgery.

-- From wire reports