• Ellsbury out again: The Boston Red Sox will likely hold injured left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury out through the rest of this road trip. The Madras High School and Oregon State University product was out of the lineup Wednesday at Minnesota for the second straight game because of bruised ribs. Manager Terry Francona said Ellsbury probably wouldn’t play today against the Twins, either, and would sit out until the team returns home Friday. Francona says Ellsbury is doing better, but still sore and having trouble rotating his body. He was hurt in a collision with teammate Adrian Beltre during a chase for a foul ball Sunday at Kansas City. Francona says as much as he’d like to have his leadoff hitter in the lineup he wants to be cautious about bringing him back.

• Phils’ Rollins goes on DL: Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins is heading to the 15-day disabled list with a calf strain. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. on Wednesday said an MRI revealed a mild to moderate strain of Rollins’ right calf. Amaro says he hopes it will take two to four weeks for Rollins to recover. Rollins, the 2007 NL MVP, was injured during warmups before Monday’s home opener against Washington. The 31-year-old three-time All-Star was off to a hot start, hitting .391 and scoring eight runs in seven games.

• Angels put closer on DL: Los Angeles Angels closer Brian Fuentes has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained back, the latest hiccup in the team’s slow start. The move was made Wednesday, retroactive to April 6. Fuentes, who hasn’t pitched since opening day, said he tweaked his back while lifting weights last week. The stiffness left him unable to throw until he played catch Tuesday.

• Congress urges baseball to ban smokeless tobacco: After hounding Major League Baseball and its players union over steroids, Congress now wants the sport to ban smokeless tobacco. At a hearing Wednesday, House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, and Health Subcommittee chairman Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, called on baseball and its players to agree to bar major leaguers from using chew, dip or similar products during games. MLB executive VP Robert Manfred and MLB Players Association chief labor counsel David Prouty told lawmakers they agree that smokeless tobacco is harmful — Manfred said a ban in the majors is “a laudable goal” — but both pointed out that any ban would have to be agreed to through collective bargaining.