The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Add the city of Monterrey, Mexico, to the list of places trying to lure the Montreal Expos for the 2004 season.

Carlos Bremer, chief executive officer of the Value Grupo Financiero, led a group that submitted a bid to Major League Baseball on Friday hoping to host all of the team's 81 home games next year.

In 1999, San Diego and Colorado played the major-league season opener before a sellout crowd of 27,104 at Monterrey. The Padres and New York Mets played a three-game series in the city in 1996.

There also were exhibition games in the city of nearly 3.5 million in 1991 and 1993.

Bremer and Monterrey mayor Felipe Cantu met with baseball officials Tom Ostertag and John McHale in New York on July 21.

The Expos, owned by the other 29 major-league teams, are playing 22 games in Puerto Rico this year.

ROYALS: Jose Lima was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin, interrupting one of this season's best comeback stories.

To replace Lima, left-hander Jimmy Gobble was recalled from Double-A Wichita. Gobble will start today in his major-league debut.

"He needs time," Kansas City general manager Allard Baird said of Lima. "The only way this thing is going to calm down is for him (to take) time to strengthen the muscle around the area."

Lima is 7-0 with a 2.96 ERA in nine starts since being signed from independent Newark June 15.

Gobble, 22, went 12-8 with a 3.19 ERA in 22 games for Wichita.

METS: Right-hander Jeremy Griffiths was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and will start against the St. Louis Cardinals today in place of Tom Glavine.

Glavine is slowed by a strained lower right ribcage muscle. He has received a cortisone shot and is expected to be re-evaluated Tuesday.

SHORT HOPS: Colorado placed infielder Mark Bellhorn on the 15-day disabled list because of tendinitis in his right shoulder.

Bellhorn was batting .215 with two home runs and 24 RBI.

• Los Angeles pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left knee. Ishii (9-5, 3.35 ERA) was scheduled to start today against Atlanta.

• The Chicago Cubs waived utilityman Lenny Harris and recalled right-hander Sergio Mitre from Double-A West Tennessee.

Harris batted just .183 with the Cubs with a homer and seven RBI in 75 games. He is the all-time major-league leader in pinch-hits with 177.