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Texas Rangers: Closer Francisco Cordero retired six of the seven batters he faced in a minor league intrasquad game Thursday, his first appearance in an actual game this spring.

Cordero has been limited by soreness in his right shoulder that he first felt during the winter while in the Dominican Republic.

After his first pitch was a ball, Cordero threw 10 straight strikes to the first five batters. He went to full counts the last two batters he faced, and retired both on called third strikes. He threw 16 strikes in 23 pitches, allowing only an infield single.

The right-hander indicated to pitching coach Orel Hershiser that he felt good as he walked off the mound. Cordero didn't talk to reporters while he ate lunch and played cards in the clubhouse.

Cordero was an All-Star last season when he set a team record with 49 saves. Without a setback, he is expected to be ready for the April 5 season opener at the Los Angeles Angels.

Cordero threw three bullpen sessions in five days last week before throwing 24 pitches in a simulated game Monday.

Toronto Blue Jays: Billy Koch needed just four spring training appearances to convince the team it made a mistake.

The Blue Jays released the 30-year-old Koch, who was signed to a one-year contract worth $900,000 in January.

In his last outing with the club, Koch worked one inning, allowing a run and two hits and hitting a batter, in a Grapefruit League game against the Twins on Wednesday.

It was Koch's second stint with the Blue Jays, with whom he spent the first three years of his career. He had 100 saves and a 3.57 ERA from 1999-2001 with Toronto, which drafted him fourth overall in 1996.

The Blue Jays shipped Koch to the Oakland Athletics in December 2001 for third baseman Eric Hinske and pitcher Justin Miller. He had a career-high 44 saves and a 3.27 ERA in his only year with Oakland before being traded to the Chicago White Sox for reliever Keith Foulke.

Last season, Koch went 1-1 with eight saves and a 5.40 ERA in 24 games with the White Sox before being traded to the Florida Marlins on June 17. In 23 games with the Marlins, he posted a 1-2 record and a 3.51 ERA.

New York Yankees: Closer Mariano Rivera played catch for the first time since being sidelined by mild bursitis in his right elbow.

Rivera made 66 throws in the outfield before the Yankees' spring game against the Detroit Tigers was canceled because of rain.

"I was surprised he felt good enough to play catch," pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said. "Played catch and felt good."

It was first thought that Rivera might throw off a bullpen mound Friday, but he will play catch for a couple more days. A mound session might be scheduled this weekend.

"It's a lot better," Rivera said. "Will see how I feel tomorrow."

Rivera will add a long-toss session to his throwing on Friday. He expects to be ready for opening day.

New York Mets: The club released veteran utilityman Joe McEwing. McEwing was given the option of staying and working out with the team or being released outright, and he opted to be released.

"It's a part of the game," he said. "I've just got to out there and start a new chapter of my life. I had five great years in New York, and I'm very thankful for that.

"I'm just going to wait, listen and talk to my agent and see what's going on."

The 32-year-old utility player in both the infield and outfield was acquired from St. Louis on March 18, 2000, in a trade for reliever Jesse Orosco.

McEwing was competing with a host of newcomers for a reserve spot this year. Veterans Miguel Cairo and Andres Galarraga, plus spring standout Chris Woodward, were added to the infield. Kerry Robinson, Gerald Williams and Ron Calloway joined the crowded outfield.

McEwing was hitting just .133 this spring after batting .254 with one home run and 16 RBI in 75 games last season.

Kansas City Royals: The club reassigned outfielder Brian Hunter to their minor league camp.

Hunter, signed in February, hit .250 in 10 exhibition games.

The 34-year-old outfielder, who twice led the American League in steals and was the majors' top base-stealer in 1997, has not played in the big leagues since 2003. He was released last May by the St. Louis Cardinals' Triple-A Memphis club.

With the reassignment, Kansas City has 44 players in camp, including 11 non-roster players.

Information from The Associated Press and SportsTicker was used in this report.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press