Prior leaves game with sore shoulder  —  Mark Prior's first extended spring outing ended badly on Thursday when the injury-plagued right-hander was forced to leave his start early.  —  Prior experienced discomfort in his right shoulder, according to a statement by the Cubs.

Benoit getting his opportunity  —  Manager once wondered why reliever didn't have bigger role  —  ARLINGTON — Ron Washington, coaching third base for the Oakland Athletics, was not the first to wonder about Joaquin Benoit.  —  He was hardly the first or the only one to wonder what a pitcher …

Milledge sent to Minors  —  Move makes room on 25-man roster for Pelfrey  —  NEW YORK — For one, it was an opportunity cut short — a fleeting glimpse of the limelight that never turned into more.  For the other, it's a new shot at that same opportunity, and a chance to stick around for good.

Notes: No luck on Friday the 13th  —  New York holds 17-24 record for games on fateful day  —  NEW YORK — Courageously, the Mets carry on in the face of pending adversity.  They have played in the chill, and they have confronted the defending World Series champions, the improved Braves and the contender-wannabe Phillies.

MLB Trade Value for 2007  —  About a year and a half ago, I did a post on who has the most trade value in the major leagues, blatently stealing off an idea from Bill Simmons of a column he's been doing for a while on NBA players.  It was pretty popular, so last summer, I did something similar for just the AL West.

Notes: Dotel setback, return uncertain  —  Pain forces reliever to cut Thursday's rehab session short  —  BALTIMORE — Octavio Dotel's recovery from a strained left oblique muscle took another detour Thursday when the Royals reliever had to cut short a rehabilitation session at the team's Spring Training facility in Surprise, Ariz.

Parking system rallies after tough start  —  Controlled-zone process moves on after 'difficult' opener  —  LOS ANGELES — At 5:45 p.m. PT on Wednesday, the entrance to Dodger Stadium on Elysian Park already was becoming quite busy, as cars passed through the gates and headed to the parking lots …

Cleveland 4, LA Angels 2  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) — After taking two out of three games from the Los Angeles Angels in their retractable-roof refuge from the snow, the Cleveland Indians are ready for a real home opener — no matter how cold, wet and miserable it gets at Jacobs Field.

NY Mets 5, Philadelphia 3  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Glavine got the win in the oldest matchup of left-handed starters in major league history and wasn't exactly sure how to react.  —  "Glad to be part of it, I guess," the 41-year-old Glavine said.  —  Other than a pair of Jimmy Rollins homers …

Notes: Julio's security unclear  —  Right-handed closer could move into setup role  —  MIAMI — On Wednesday, a day after Jorge Julio was unable to seal his second save opportunity of the season, manager Fredi Gonzalez was noncommittal when asked if the 28-year-old right-hander would remain the Marlins closer.

Ahead of the pack (cont.)  —  The Nats, baseball's Have-Nats  —  The one team everyone agrees has no playoff shot is Washington, which may be the worst in years (or at least since the 2003 Tigers).  The Nats will need great fortune to avoid 100 losses.  —  But on the bright side …

Russell remembers Robinson  —  Bill Russell, the Celtics Hall of Famer, held court with the media this afternoon before the postponement of today's Sox-Mariners game at Fenway Park.  Russell was scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of the Sox' tribute to the late Red Auerbach and the Celtics organization.

Phillies minor leaguer tests positive  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies infielder Hector Made was suspended for 50 games Friday for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance under baseball's minor league program.  —  Made was acquired by the Phillies last July in the trade …

I Want Candy  —  Kid in a candy store, baby.  I can't remember being this excited about a game in a long time, let alone being this excited about a game and having it turn out better than expected.  Did you see the glint in Ichiro Suzuki's eye, or was that just the million flash bulbs?

Notes: Pena to spell Drew in finale  —  Reserve outfielder looking forward to making his first start  —  BOSTON — Nobody is rooting harder for Thursday's weather forecast of rain and snow to be wrong than Red Sox outfielder Wily Mo Pena.  The contest against the Mariners …