The Bangor Blue Ox continue tinkering with their roster as one player was released while two more were added Saturday.

Shortstop Wade Evans and outfielder George McDaniel were in uniform Saturday night against Rhode Island after signing contracts earlier that day. In fact, Evans was inserted right into the starting lineup.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Evans went 2-for-3 with an RBI and handled all six chances he had at short.

Right-handed reliever Rob Barbadoro was given his walking papers after posting a 2-2 record with one save and a 4.67 ERA.

“It wasn’t anything he had done, it just a matter of numbers. We didn’t use him as much as we probably should have,” said team manager Dick Phillips. “I told him to keep at it and he’d have a head start at next year’s tryouts.”

The changes provide Phillips with depth on a team battling injuries to key starters, and shrinks the size of the pitching staff to 11.

“It definitely helps because I couldn’t make a move. You look at the bench and you see just pitchers, so I couldn’t pinch-run or pinch-hit,” Phillips explained. “Plus it gives us our only left-handed hitter, other than Chad [White].”

Both Evans and McDaniel are new to the pro baseball ranks.

Evans is a Savannah, Ga., native and East Tennessee State University graduate. An all-conference pick at ETSU, the 26-year-old is expected to provide much-needed infield depth.

McDaniel, 26, is a left-handed hitter from Moline, Ill., who will fill a role as reserve outfielder and pinch-hitter. The 6-0, 180-pound lefty played college ball at Southern Arkansas University.

The additions to the Bangor roster should be welcome relief to a team hit by a rash of recent injuries.

First baseman Corey Parker is on the disabled list and may be lost for the season due to complications resulting from a deeply bruised right hip he suffered while diving for a ground ball July 17 in Glens Falls, N.Y., against Adirondack.

Parker was in and out of a hospital in Elmira, and was discharged Saturday.

“We’re hoping he’ll be able to return, but due to the severity of his injury, we’re not going to push for a return date,” said team trainer Craig Payment.

Lefthander Matt Frias is also on the DL after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Friday.

Frias, who has had a chronic cartilage problem with the knee, re-injured it pushing off the mound during warmups July 18 at Glens Falls and will be out of action for at least two weeks.

“Team doctor Gary Parker suggested he look into getting a cartilage transplant to alleviate the problem,” said Payment.

Starting right fielder Tim Morrow has been on the shelf with a strained hamstring. Morrow missed three games through Saturday, but returned to action Sunday.

Morrow started at first, made several nice plays, and went 2-for-3 to help lead the Ox to the win.

And finally, Chad White and Todd Delnoce are nursing sprained thumbs, but have remained in the starting lineup. Ditto for Angelo “Jello” Cox, who is battling tendinitis in his left shoulder.

For the second straight week, a Blue Ox player was honored as the Northeast League’s player or pitcher of the week.

Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd was named pitcher of the week, posting a 2-0 record and a 3.00 ERA in two games last week. He struck out 11 and walked just one in 15 innings of work.

The player of the week is Newburgh catcher Mike Piniero. Piniero hit .357 (10-for-28) with eight RBIs, nine runs, a triple and a double.

A controversy over a fine Northeast League president Jeffrey Kunion levied against Adirondack manager Dave LaPoint has resulted in officials modifying the league’s by-laws.

Kunion fined LaPoint $100 last month for “disparaging comments specifically made about umpires and league officials – by name – being out to get Adirondack” according to executive director Michael McGuire.

“That crosses the line,” McGuire said, explaining the reason for the fine.

LaPoint balked at the move and questioned whether league by-laws gave Kunion the power to fine.

As a result, league owners voted to amend the rules, officially providing for McGuire’s position and specifying his powers.

Now Kunion is responsible for the league’s business matters while McGuire handles all baseball operations.

“As a league grows, you have to constantly adapt. This came about as a result of a number of different situations. Not just this one,” McGuire explained.

LaPoint has paid the fine, officially closing the matter.

The Northeast League has settled its disagreement with former league president Denise Byrd, who sued the league for unpaid wages and expenses after she was dismissed during the 1995 season.

Byrd received a partial payment after settling out of court, but maintained she was still owed money.

“The league and she have agreed to a settlement and a payment schedule has been negotiated,” said McGuire.

The two sides agreed to a payment schedule in late June.

Fans may be seeing Bangor Blue Ox merchandise popping up in mail-order catalogs next year.

Northeast League officials, which have an agreement with New Era – the official baseball cap maker for the major and minor leagues – to produce hats for league teams, are looking into getting league merchandise in more markets.

“We will work through the offseason to get into secondary markets and we’re working to get teams to carry other league teams’ merchandise in their stores,” McGuire said.

Those secondary markets would include mail-order companies like 1-800-ProTeam, Star Struck, and The Sports Illustrated mail order catalog.