by Tracy Ringolsby

While Ramirez is not eligible to rejoin the Dodgers until July 3, baseball found a loophole. On Tuesday he will join the Dodgers' Triple-A Albuquerque affiliate. He is allowed 10 games in the minor leagues to make sure he is ready to play the day the suspension ends.

It doesn't compute.

The minor leagues had a drug policy long before the big leagues. They didn't have to play games with the Major League Baseball Players Association to attack the issue.

So why should Ramirez be given the privilege of getting to play in minor league games before he has served his full suspension? There are no special privileges for minor-league players, guys who are playing for $25,000 or so a year, not $25 million, like Ramirez. When minor-league players face 50-game suspensions they have to serve their suspensions. Nobody finds a way to get them 10 games of competition before they return to the active roster.

What would be fitting is for Pat O'Connor, president and CEO of minor league baseball, to announce that it also has suspended Ramirez for his transgressions and therefore he isn't eligible to play for the Isotopes. Instead, minor league baseball is promoting Ramirez joining the Isotopes, including website headlines that the Ramirez's minor-league rehab games will be available on MiLB.TV.

It isn't like Ramirez was injured. He was suspended for his own actions. So he should have to pay the full price. It's sad that he has even been allowed to work out at Dodger Stadium, although he can't be visible during the time the media is allowed in the clubhouse.

Not fair to the Dodgers, some say. The Dodgers deserve to have a game-ready Ramirez the day his suspension is ended. Why? Teams should be held accountable for the transgressions of their players. If teams suffer enough they might be more vigilant in dealing with potential violations.

The situation is such a farce that after three games with Albuquerque, Ramirez will be allowed to continue his minor-league rehab by playing for Inland Empire of the Single-A California League, which will allow him to commute from his home in Pasadena, instead of having to suffer the indignity of staying in a hotel room.

Get serious.

At least the fans appear to have a clue. Second in the initial announcement of All-Star voting, Ramirez slipped to fourth in the June 2 update, and had fallen to sixth in the voting results that were announced last week.

Hot seat

The Rockies are on a roll, completing a sweep of Pittsburgh on Sunday, which gave them 16 wins in their last 17 games, and their fourth sweep in their last five series. They have faced some tests during their revival — sweeping series at both St. Louis and Milwaukee for the first time in franchise history, sweeping Seattle, which has won six of its last seven series, and also taking two of three from defending AL champion Tampa Bay.

And things aren't getting any easier. Monday, they open a three-game series against a revitalized Angels team in Anaheim. They visit Oakland for three games, and a reunion with Matt Holliday this weekend. And then they wrap up a nine-game road trip with three games at Dodger Stadium against the NL West-leading Dodgers, who have beaten the Rockies five of six games this year.

Series stuff

The Cubs have a challenging couple of days coming up. After beating Cleveland at Wrigley Field on Sunday, they travel to Atlanta for a makeup game on Monday, and then open a three-game series at Detroit on Tuesday.

Philadelphia visits Tampa Bay for three games beginning Tuesday in a rematch of the 2008 World Series. Does anybody in the Tampa area care? The Rays aren't even expecting a crowd of 30,000 for any of the three games. The Rays haven't even reached 20,000 for any of their 14 mid-week home games against a team other than the Yankees or Red Sox this season despite coming off the first AL title in franchise history.

The Big Apple is on center stage next weekend travel to Queens to face the Mets, who lost two of three at the new Yankee Stadium earlier this month.

Milestone watch

Boston's David Ortiz and Lance Berkman of Houston both go into the week with 999 RBI. ... Jim Thome of the White Sox has 1,527 RBI, three shy of moving ahead of Jeff Bagwell and Tris Speaker into 44th on the all-time list, and nine shy of moving ahead of Joe DiMaggio into 43rd. ... Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees has 1,634 RBI, three shy of moving ahead of Ernie Banks into 26th on the all-time list.

Keep an eye on

Right-hander Brad Lidge makes what is expected to be his final rehab assignment at Single-A Clearwater (Fla.) on Tuesday. Lidge has not repeated last year's perfection for the Phillies, but rest assured he will be welcomed back by the defending world champions, who do hold a two-game lead in the NL East despite going 0-for-6 on their just completed home stand. Fill-in Ryan Madson has given up five runs on three innings his last three appearances, during which he is 0-2 with two blown saves.

The Phils need a healthy Brad Lidge ASAP. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)

FYI

Tampa Bay left-hander Scott Kazmir, on the disabled list with a strained right quad, spent three days in New York, working with former Oakland/Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson on mechanical adjustments. Kazmir first worked with Peterson when Kazmir was a prospect in the Mets system.

Could the Rays address their bullpen concerns when Kazmir is activated? Could they ask lefty David Price, the first player taken in the 2007 draft, to work in relief as opposed to being sent down? Price was a dominating bullpen arm for the Rays in the postseason last October.

Quickly

Triple-A Colorado Springs outfielder Matt Murton set a franchise record by extending his hitting streak to 29 games on Sunday. And it did it with an added challenge. The streak started April 15, and had reached 13 games before he was called up by the Rockies on April 28. Sent back to the SkySox on June 8, Murton didn't slow down, and rattled off another 16 games to extend the streak to 29 games on Sunday. He hit .432 with eight home runs, 11 doubles, 28 runs scored and 34 RBI during the streak. . . . Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder hit his first grand slam last week. That matches the career total for his father Cecil. The Griffeys, meanwhile, combined for 19, including 15 by Ken Jr., and four by father Ken. ... Not only is Tony La Russa of St. Louis the third manager in history with 2,500 victories, but he's also the first manager to have at least 100 wins against 16 teams. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox has 100 wins against 12 teams. ... The Cardinals haven't had a left-handed starter earn a win since Mark Mulder beat Pittsburgh on June 15, 2006. ... Andy and Adam La Roche, the third baseman and first baseman for Pittsburgh, comprise the 99th brother combo to be big-league teammates.