The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO - San Francisco Giants closer Robb Nen has a strained throwing shoulder and expects to be out two to three weeks.

Nen said he was relieved after being examined on Tuesday by Dr. Lewis Yocum of the Anaheim Angels, who performed arthroscopic surgery on the reliever's right shoulder on Nov. 8.

"It's a lot better than what it could have been," Nen said Tuesday. "I could have torn something or done something else."

Nen was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Monday's game, retroactive to Sunday.

"I guess we just pushed it," Nen said. "We were short with the World Series and all that stuff, trying to push it and be ready. I guess I just did too much too soon and irritated something."

Nen, 33, is 11th on the career list with 314 saves, including a team-record 206 with the Giants.

With Nen sidelined, Tim Worrell earned the save in Monday's 5-2 win. Manager Felipe Alou said he'll use Worrell, Felix Rodriguez and possibly Joe Nathan in the closer's role until Nen returns.

METS: Catcher Mike Piazza's suspension for charging the mound in spring training was reduced to four games, and he will start serving the penalty today.

"I just want to put this all behind me so I can concentrate on baseball the rest of the season," Piazza said.

Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, originally issued a five-game suspension and $3,000 fine after Piazza charged Los Angeles reliever Guillermo Mota during an exhibition game March 12. Piazza, who had been hit by a fastball, later went into the Dodgers' clubhouse looking for the pitcher.

Mota originally was suspended for five games, but appealed and had it cut to four games last week.

EXPOS: Pitcher Livan Hernandez settled charges that he swung golf clubs at a 65-year-old man.

Prosecutors will drop charges of felony aggravated assault and battery on the elderly if Hernandez attends anger-management classes, performs 50 hours of community service and donates $500 to charity. He can wait until the offseason to meet the terms.

RED SOX: Three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez has extended the opening-day deadline he gave Boston for a contract extension.

Martinez said after Monday's opener against Tampa Bay that talks were ongoing, but would not discuss details.

"The reason I'm not talking about the contract is because it's time to play baseball, concentrate on the things I'm doing," he said.

The right-hander said in February that unless the Red Sox exercised his $17.5 million option for 2004 or signed him to an extension by the end of spring training, he likely would finish his career elsewhere.