A top baseball official will formulate a proposal for instant replay, and the technology could be tested in the Arizona Fall League this year.

Jimmie Lee Solomon, the sport's executive vice president for baseball operations, wouldn't put a timetable on a replay plan, which was recommended by general managers in November. The idea drew renewed attention after several blown home run calls by umpires in recent days.

"The times are such that our fans are used to seeing all the high technology and they're used to seeing the other sports that use these systems to make determinations, and the fans are clamoring for all the sports to look at that," Solomon said yesterday.

Baseball is developing tentative plans to experiment with replay during the Fall League and likely would continue testing, if it's successful, during the 2009 World Baseball Classic, ESPN.com reported yesterday.

Solomon wouldn't go that far.

"We're looking at various places to start looking at instant replay," he said. "We've made no final decision as to where exactly we're going to try it out, do any test runs or anything yet."

GMs voted 25-5 last November to use replays on boundary calls, such as whether possible homers are fair or foul, whether balls clear fences, and whether there's fan interference.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig repeatedly has said he's against replay but also said he is willing to consider it.

"I've had conversations with the commissioner about it and I know he's giving it a lot of thought and consideration and doing a lot of work on it," Seattle Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said. "Commissioner Selig is getting a lot more information and will know the pros and cons."

PADRES

YOUNG, BARD ON DL

San Diego placed right-handed pitcher Chris Young and catcher Josh Bard on the 15-day disabled list yesterday.

Young and Bard were knocked out of Wednesday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals by Albert Pujols in the same inning.

Young's nose was broken when Pujols hit a line drive off his face in the third. Bard sustained a high left ankle sprain two batters later when Pujols scored from second on a base hit to right field. Pujols slid into Bard's ankle as the catcher stuck his leg out to block the plate.

ELSEWHERE

Ballpark fatality: Alcohol was a factor in the death of a 25-year-old man who fell down a stairwell at Turner Field during a game between Atlanta and the New York Mets. Justin Hayes of Cumming, Ga., suffered head injuries Wednesday. He fell about 150 feet from the club level to the landing on the field level during the eighth. The investigation is "pointing toward drinking. Alcohol was a factor," said Atlanta police department spokesman Ronald Campbell yesterday. Campbell said Hayes may have been sliding down the hand rails when he fell.

Yankees: New York Yankees pitcher LaTroy Hawkins was suspended for three games and fined $2,000 yesterday by Major League Baseball, which said he intentionally threw at Baltimore's Luke Scott on Tuesday night. Hawkins will appeal.

Mets: New York placed outfielder Moises Alou on the 15-day DL with a strained right calf yesterday. Alou left Wednesday night's game against Atlanta with the calf injury, and had an MRI exam yesterday in New York.

Brewers: Milwaukee closer Eric Gagne was diagnosed yesterday with rotator cuff tendinitis and is out indefinitely, although he will rejoin the team today in Washington.

Nationals: Washington right fielder Austin Kearns will have surgery today on his sore right elbow and is expected to miss three to four weeks.