World Series MVP Cole Hamels left training camp yesterday and flew to Philadelphia to have his left elbow examined by Phillies team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti.

"He's had a little bit of a persistent soreness in his elbow. We do not believe it's serious," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "But at least at this time we thought it was important for Dr. Ciccotti to check him out and see if there's anything more serious than we think it is."

The 25-year-old left-hander made his first Grapefruit League start Wednesday. He pitched in an intrasquad game Sunday and didn't report any pain during four innings.

Hamels feels tightness in his elbow between innings and after he's finished pitching for the day.

"I was able to throw yesterday," Hamels said. "It's just been that kind of mild discomfort, something I don't want to have to deal with during the season. So if we can figure it out and somehow lessen the inflammation and the discomfort, I'll be able to throw and be productive."

Hamels pitched 262 1/3 innings last year, the first season in an eight-year professional career that he avoided the disabled list.

Since making his major league debut in 2006, he's been placed on the major league disabled list for a left shoulder strain in May of that year and again in August of 2007.

Hamels agreed to a $20.5 million, three-year contract two months ago.

DODGERS

MANNY OUT A WEEK

The Dodgers are taking a cautious approach to get Manny Ramirez ready for the start of the season, but they've decided Jason Schmidt won't make it.

Los Angeles manager Joe Torre said before his team's 10-8 loss to the Oakland Athletics yesterday in Phoenix that Ramirez won't play in exhibition games for at least a week to rest his sore left hamstring.

Torre also said that Schmidt, who made his second start of the spring, is no longer a candidate to begin the season in the rotation because there is not enough time for his rehab from shoulder surgery.

Ramirez aggravated his left hamstring injury while playing the outfield Sunday for the first time this spring.

ATHLETICS

WILLIAMS SENT DOWN

Jerome Williams, trying to return to the majors after his once-promising career was stalled by weight problems, was among eight players Oakland sent to the minor leagues yesterday.

The 27-year-old Waipahu alum gave up four runs in nine innings in four games. Williams won 17 games for the Giants before his 23rd birthday, but he had been bouncing between organizations for four years, pitching in an independent league last season.

"Jerome has come a long way from where he was a year ago," manager Bob Geren said. "He put himself in the mix. Right now the innings just aren't there for him."

WORLD CLASSIC

Cuba 7, Mexico 4: Cuba will stick around the World Baseball Classic for at least one more game, thanks to Frederich Cepeda's smoking-hot bat. Cepeda was 3 for 4 with a walk and four RBIs, including a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning, in leading Cuba over Mexico in an elimination game at San Diego. Cepeda is tied for the lead in the WBC with a .600 average (12 for 20) and tops all WBC batters with 10 RBIs.

Venezuela 2, Puerto Rico 0: Ramon Hernandez trotted home with a big run following a 10-minute delay, and now he and his Venezuela teammates are bound for Los Angeles and the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic. Hernandez was awarded a home run following a replay review. It originally wasn't clear whether his drive to left-center had cleared the wall.

ELSEWHERE

Astros: Houston and catcher Ivan Rodriguez are closing in on a $1.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the talks told the AP. The deal would contain $1.5 million in performance bonuses based on games and plate appearances, the person said. The 37-year-old, a 13-time Gold Glove winner, began last season in Detroit, was traded to the Yankees in July and hit .276 with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 115 games.

Tigers: Detroit manager Jim Leyland isn't sure whether injury-plagued reliever Joel Zumaya will be ready for opening day. "I have no predictions," Leyland said. Zumaya, 24, has missed much of the past two seasons. He was scratched from an intrasquad game Saturday because of a neck cramp.