LEADING OFF

COLON RELEASED: Righthander Bartolo Colon was designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, one day after the 44-year-old righthander’s record dropped to 2-8. Pitching for the first time since going on the disabled list with a strained left oblique on June 6, Colon allowed six runs, eight hits and three walks in four innings in during Wednesday night’s 7-4 loss at San Diego.

Colon has an 8.14 ERA in 13 starts, unable to find the form that earned him an AL Cy Young Award winner and made him a 235-game winner.

“The reality is that I’ve been getting hit hard and that’s the truth and you can’t dance around it,” Colon said through a translator after his latest loss.

Unless Colon is traded or claimed on waivers, the Braves would be responsible for the remainder of his $12.5 million salary. If he is released and signs with another team, the new club would be responsible for only a prorated share of the $535,000 minimum. GIANT BONUS: Jae-Gyun Hwang would earn $786,885 if he remains on the San Francisco Giants’ major league roster for the remainder of the season and could gain more in performance bonuses. When Hwang joined the Giants in January, he received a minor league deal and agreed that if added to the 40-man roster he would have a $1.5 million salary while in the major leagues and a $125,000 salary while in the minors.