Johnson`borderline' to start the season  —  · Unless Josh Johnson starts feeling better immediately and for the rest of spring training, the Marlins will open the season without him in the rotation.  —  Saturday, Johnson felt enough soreness in the inside of his forearm to bag a scheduled throwing session.

Piniella encouraged by Wood's BP session  —  MESA, Ariz. — For all the new guys in camp for the Cubs, the star attraction during workouts Saturday was an old face.  —  More encouraging for the Cubs, it was a game face Kerry Wood took to the mound to throw to hitters for the first time this spring.

Wallace Matthews  —  Modest Omar in spotlight  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets may not have gotten as far as they wanted to last year, but at least their general manager has arrived.  —  Omar Minaya had an appointment with Gary Smith last night.  More accurately, the famously painstaking …

Arms race puts Bernie out in cold  —  TAMPA - For what it's worth to Bernie Williams, it wasn't only his advanced age, diminished skills and the desire on the Yankees' part to make Jason Giambi a full-time DH that squeezed him off the roster and into likely retirement.

Rays veterans want to see those game faces … ST. PETERSBURG - Manager Joe Maddon was not the only one bothered by the lack of professionalism in the Devil Rays clubhouse last season.  —  Several veteran Rays said Sunday the problem was widespread, most evident in terms of poor pregame preparation …

Donnelly's deliveries can be biting  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — He's got a World Series ring.  He was the winning pitcher of the 2003 All-Star Game.  His lifetime big league record is 23-8 with a 2.87 ERA.  Major league batters have hit only .219 against him.

Clement Will Start Throwing Next Week  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox begin their exhibition season in a matter of days, but the player most excited to turn the calendar to March isn't going to be playing any time soon.  —  Matt Clement will be happy just to toss a ball, perhaps as early as next week.

Live, from Fort Myers, it's Dice-K  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — One of the great things about the pre- game phase of spring training is "live batting practice."  It's when hitters step into the batting cage and try to hit real big league pitching.  The hurlers give them the courtesy of telling …

60 seconds with the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco  —  Staff writer Joe Capozzi spoke with Ricky Nolasco, the Marlins' poker-playing pitcher.  —  How do you like to spend your off-season?  —  I'm a big poker player.  I like to play that quite a bit.  —  Texas Hold 'Em?  —  Yes.  I'd say I'm a good player.

Notes: Timlin prepared to take the lead  —  Tavarez, Pineiro, Donnelly to audition in Wednesday's game  —  FORT MYERS — Mike Timlin is two weeks shy of turning 41.  He could never forget that because his age is brought up to him by nearly every reporter who comes in his path.

MEET FREDI GONZALEZ  —  Two years before the Marlins' inaugural season, Fredi Gonzalez was hired as the team's first minor-league manager.  Last October, he became the major-league club's ninth manager.  —  • Personal: Born Jan. 28, 1964, in Havana, Gonzalez moved to Miami with his parents at age 2.

Interpreters in Baseball Making Sure Nothing Is Lost in Translation  —  Six Yankees jogged across a practice field here, along a path lined with excited fans, toward the bullpen of an adjacent field.  The fans recognized and shouted to Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte …