AMERICAN LEAGUE: AROUND THE HORN : IS MARTINEZ STILL OF VALUE?

Byline: - Matt McHale

Ramon Martinez, whose long Dodgers career ended last July when he underwent reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder, begins a minor- league rehabilitation assignment Monday night for the Boston Red Sox Class-A affiliate.

Martinez, who topped out at 87 mph on the radar gun during a recent simulated game at Fenway Park, hopes to join the depleted Sox rotation around the All-Star break. Already this year, Boston has lost right-handers Mark Portugal and Bret Saberhagen to injuries and had to move Tim Wakefield to the bullpen when closer Tom Gordon hurt his right shoulder.

Martinez signed with the Red Sox in the spring after the Dodgers failed to offer enough guaranteed money. The Dodgers' starting rotation was set and even had a surplus with Dave Mlicki. Martinez had torn his rotator cuff in each of the past two seasons and with the overhaul at the top there was no one to recognize his clubhouse value with Latin players.

Now the Dodgers' staff is ineffective, except for Kevin Brown. It's almost time to see if Martinez still has value as a pitcher.

GOING DEEP

Tampa Bay's Jose Canseco entered the weekend needing five home runs to become the first player in major-league history to hit 30 or more home runs in a single season for four different teams (Oakland, Texas and Toronto are the others). Teammate Fred McGriff, who has 16 homers this season, could become the second.

Canseco is the third-fastest AL player this decade to reach 25 homers. It took Canseco 63 games, while Ken Griffey needed only 55 games in 1994 and 56 in 1997.

CHANGING SOX

With their recent stretch of good play (winning 11 of 17 through Tuesday) and a down stretch for the Red Sox, the Chicago White Sox are thinking playoffs.

``I'm not concerned about catching Cleveland,'' said right-hander Jaime Navarro, 3-0 with a 3.64 ERA and a consistent 95-96 mph fastball in his past five starts. ``I'm concerned about getting the wild card. I think that's our goal. We can't worry about what Cleveland is doing.''

Rather than trading veterans to contenders, as the Sox did in 1997 and '98, GM Ron Schueler foresees a scenario where he might trade minor-leaguers for some stretch-run help. Schueler has been shopping Navarro for at least a year, but now says he's off the market.

MORE STREAKS

When Cal Ripken ended his consecutive game streak last September at 2,632 games, teammate Albert Belle became baseball's new iron man. So what happened? Orioles manager Ray Miller became angry at Belle and benched him last weekend after their dugout blowup. End of streak, which had reached 392 games.

The longest active streak then fell to Colorado's Vinny Castilla, who held the distinction for exactly four days before sitting out Tuesday night's game. The active record came back to Baltimore and outfielder B.J. Surhoff with 228. At this rate Surhoff needs to play only every game until 2014 to challenge Ripken's all-time record.

TRADE WINDS

Given his status as one of the game's top players, the team's chance to reach the playoffs and GM Woody Woodward's general inability to pull the trigger on trades, Seattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez is not headed to the Detroit Tigers for Tony Clark, Justin Thompson and Deivi Cruz. That rumor was burning up the Internet and talk shows in Detroit this past week. . . .

The Rangers would love to bring back Cardinals left-hander Darren Oliver - a free agent after the season. . . . Wilson Alvarez and Scott Erickson are also available. . . . The Royals would love to trade Kevin Appier, but at the steep price of two premium prospects.