Former All-Star Turnbow accepts minor league assignment

5/9/2008 7:38 PM

MILWAUKEE (AP) -Former All-Star closer Derrick Turnbow accepted a minor league assignment from the Milwaukee Brewers and will report to Triple-A Nashville on Monday.

``It's good,'' general manager Doug Melvin said. ``He can go down and work on things he can't do at the big league level. Every time you're a reliever in most instances, you're brought in here with the game on the line, a small margin of error. He can go down there and relax and try to have some positive outings and regain his confidence, throw the ball we think he's capable of.''

Melvin said Turnbow would be the closer in Nashville.

``He needed to go into a less pressured situation and work some things out. He's a great kid. I would have liked to see him stay in the big leagues,'' manager Ned Yost said. ``I think it'll be real beneficial to him and us to see if he can't smooth things out.''

Turnbow had 39 saves in 2005 and 24 the following year, when he was picked for the NL All-Star team, but lost his form in July 2006.

After converting 51 of 55 save chances at the start of his career, he went 0-6 with a 13.06 ERA from July 1 on in 2006 and lost his closer's job to Francisco Cordero. Turnbow was 4-5 with a 4.63 ERA as a setup man last year and was 0-1 with a 15.63 ERA in eight games this year.

Milwaukee designated the 30-year-old right-hander for assignment last week, and the Brewers couldn't work out a deal to trade him over the last week. The club remains responsible for the rest of his $3.2 million salary.