APNewsBreak: Baseball union fires arbitrator

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) The baseball players' union has fired arbitrator Fredric Horowitz, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the firing was not publicly announced.

Dan Halem, Major League Baseball's chief legal officer, informed general managers at their meeting this week. The players' association made the decision after Horowitz ruled against it in an injury assignment case involving Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Charlie Culberson.

The players' association declined comment, spokesman Greg Bouris said.

Horowitz, 68, started as baseball's neutral arbitrator in June 2012. He replaced Shyam Das, who had held the position since 1999 but was fired by management following his decision to overturn Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.

In Horowitz's most notable decision, he reduced Alex Rodriguez's 211-game suspension to 162 games, a penalty imposed for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract.