Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Shaun Marcum needs ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow and is expected to miss the entire 2009 season.

"It's going to be tough," Marcum said of the long layoff ahead of him. "It's going to be tough next year when spring training rolls around and I'm not going to be one of the guys."

The 26-year-old Marcum, 9-7 with a 3.39 ERA in 25 starts, left Tuesday's game against Baltimore after two-plus innings with soreness and numbness from his elbow to his pinky. An MRI exam on Thursday revealed the injury.

No date has been set for the surgery, which will be performed by Dr. James Andrews.

Red Sox suspend Colon for not returning

The Boston Red Sox suspended right-hander Bartolo Colon without pay. Colon was given permission to leave the team Wednesday and return home to the Dominican Republic to attend to a private matter.

The 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner informed the Red Sox on Friday that he wasn't coming back. Boston had intended to use Colon out of the bullpen, a role he was not happy with, manager Terry Francona said Friday.

Colon can become a free agent after the season. He went 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA in seven starts for Boston. He is still eligible to return for the playoffs, but Francona said that was unlikely.

Sheets rests, hopes to make start next week

Brewers Right-hander Ben Sheets rested his sore pitching elbow Friday, hoping the pain subsides enough to let him start a game in Milwaukee's final regular-season series next weekend.

SHORT HOPS: All-Star catcher Geovany Soto hopes to miss just one game after being scratched from the Chicago Cubs' lineup Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals because of a sore left hand. Soto said he should be ready to play today after X-rays revealed no structural damage.

* It's over for A-Rod and his wife of more than five years. With a prenuptial agreement in place, lawyers for the couple confirmed Friday that a settlement was reached less than three months after Cynthia Rodriguez first filed for divorce from Yankees star Alex Rodriguez.

* The Mets won a coin flip with the Brewers on Friday and would host a tiebreaker for the NL wild card on Sept. 29 if the teams finish with identical records and a game is needed to decide a postseason berth.

* Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland began serving a three-game suspension on Friday.

* The Baltimore Orioles placed right-hander Daniel Cabrera on the disabled list because of pain and tingling in his elbow.

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