Kenny Rogers won’t start his season until summer – maybe later.

A key part of the pitching staff that led the surprising Detroit Tigers to the AL pennant last year, Rogers is out until at least the All-Star break following surgery Friday to remove a blood clot from his left shoulder and repair arteries.

“We might have been the only club in baseball with five established starters,” Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said in Lakeland, Fla. “It’s an edge we have here and all we did was lose a little of the edge. We still have a great club with four established starters and a strong bullpen.”

Rogers complained of a tired arm Wednesday. The 42-year-old left-hander was flown to Baylor University in Texas, where Dr. Greg Pearl performed the surgery. Rogers is expected to start throwing in six to eight weeks, and Dombrowski said the earliest the pitcher would return to the rotation is July.

Chad Durbin becomes Detroit’s fifth starter behind Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander, Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth. Durbin was 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three relief appearances with Detroit last year.

“I have confidence in Chad Durbin, but can anyone replace Kenny Rogers? No,” manager Jim Leyland said.

Heading into the final weekend before the season, Detroit agreed with shortstop Carlos Guillen on a $48 million, four-year contract extension through 2011.

Guillen is making $5 million this season, the last of a $14 million, three-year deal. He gets $12 million in 2008, $10 million in 2009 and $13 million in each of the final two seasons.

In Tampa, Fla., much-maligned Carl Pavano was chosen as the New York Yankees’ opening-day starter against visiting Tampa Bay – his first time on the mound in the major leagues since June 27, 2005.

Pavano will be followed in the rotation by Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and Kei Igawa. With Chien-Ming Wang sidelined by a strained right hamstring, Darrell Rasner will be the fifth starter at the beginning of the season.

“It’s going to be pretty exciting,” a smiling Pavano said after manager Joe Torre announced his decision. “Who wouldn’t be excited at this opportunity? It’s a good day.”

A failure during the first two seasons of his $39.95 million, four-year contract, Pavano got the assignment after injuries to Wang and Pettitte. Sidelined by shoulder, back, buttocks, elbow and rib injuries, Pavano has been ridiculed in New York, and even some of his teammates questioned his desire to pitch.

In Bradenton, Fla., former All-Star closer Dan Kolb was reassigned to Pittsburgh’s minor league camp and is looking for another major league job.

The Pirates had until Friday to notify Kolb whether he would make their 25-man roster. He is expected to report to their minor league camp if he is not offered a spot on an opening-day roster by another team.

In a surprise move, the Pirates released non-roster infielder Jose Hernandez, who has played for manager Jim Tracy with the Dodgers and Pirates. Hernandez hit .300 with four doubles in spring training, the third time in his career he has been with Pittsburgh.

In Port St. Lucie, Fla., the New York Mets optioned Chan Ho Park to Triple-A New Orleans. Park could have declined the demotion but decided he wanted to stay with the organization.

“That’s the reason I signed with them in the offseason, to get here and try out,” he said after striking out five in three shutout innings during New York’s 8-2 victory over Florida.

The 33-year-old Park finished spring training with a 5.89 ERA in 18 1-3 innings. He was a candidate for the rotation before Saturday, and the Mets have been eager to see if Park could be effective out of the bullpen. But general manager Omar Minaya said it was unfair to ask Park to make the turnaround so quickly.

“We like him and we want him to be with us,” Minaya said. “He wants to be with us also.”

In Norfolk, Va., Baltimore outfielder Jay Payton said he probably will start the season on the disabled list because of a strained left hamstring.

Payton injured himself trying to advance from second to third in an exhibition game Monday.

In San Francisco, the Oakland Athletics said they agreed to a minor league contract with infielder Todd Walker, released by San Diego earlier this week.

The move gives the A’s flexibility in the infield after they lost first baseman Dan Johnson to a hip injury this week. Walker has played first, second and third during his 11-year major league career.

“In light of some of the injuries we’ve had, we need as many choices as possible,” A’s assistant general manager David Forst said.

“The guy’s a major league veteran. If you’re out there looking for players at this time of year, you don’t know what you’re going to get, so Todd Walker’s a nice guy to have.”