Beckett to miss Friday's start  —  Callup from Triple-A Pawtucket is yet to be determined  —  BOSTON — Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett, who leads the Major Leagues with seven wins, will miss his Friday night start against the Braves because of the avulsion on his right middle finger …

Braves place Gonzalez on 15-day DL  —  Lefty's velocity dropped inexplicably in Tuesday's game  —  WASHINGTON — Mike Gonzalez still has no clue why he lost so much of his velocity during Tuesday night's game.  But for the next two weeks, he'll have the opportunity to rest his left arm.

Brave World  —  Back on Top  —  Brian McCann looks at the standings today and smiles.  The Atlanta Braves are in first place in the National League East with a 25-14 record, a half-game ahead of the New York Mets.  However, when the Braves catcher thinks back to the final day of the 2006 season, he still feels sadness.

Staying in Seattle a 'touchy subject' for Ichiro Suzuki  —  The wafer-thin Japanese ballplayer with the bewildering swing and intriguing style possesses uncommon ardor, athletic integrity and intelligence.  As a bona fide baseball pioneer, he respects the national pastime as if he were an apple pie-and-mom American.

Everyone, Meet Ramon Ortiz  —  As Dennis Green might say, Ramon Ortiz is who we thought he was.  On January 22, when the Twins signed Ortiz to a one-year contract worth $3.1 million and handed him a spot in the starting rotation, I wrote the following:

Lastings' latest bad rap  —  Foul mouth strikes out  —  Lastings Milledge's rap has gone from bad to worse.  —  Milledge, who ticked off Met teammates last season with his on and off-the-field antics, has taken poor judgment to a new level, performing on a rap song that would make Don Imus blush.

Lilly, Marquis paying off for Cubs … Judging a pitcher with a multiyear contract after six weeks is sort of like reviewing "The Wizard of Oz" before the big twister scene.  Between the Munchkins, the flying monkeys and the prospect of a few disabled list visits down the road …

ESPN LIKELY TO AIR CLEMENS' CLASS-A START  —  ESPN confirmed rumors last night that it is planning to broadcast the Rocket's Class-A start with Tampa on Friday night, though the decision was not yet official late last night.  —  "We are in the process of discussions to try to showcase coverage …

Doing Pennants  —  Steinbrenner can't pay too much for what he really wants  —  Professor J.C. Bradbury of Kennesaw State University in Georgia tells the Voice that Roger Clemens isn't worth it.  In his new book, The Baseball Economist, Bradbury calculates the value of a win in terms of revenue created.

The Big Picture  —  More Rescheduling  —  The previous column on rearranging the majors into five six-team divisions elicited many favorable comments and a number of questions and suggestions.  The main questions concerned how to arrange the divisions and how to schedule the season.

Jason gets new shoes and a rest  —  CHICAGO - Jason Giambi was still nursing a bone spur in his left foot yesterday, but rain washed away the Yankees' game against the White Sox, giving the DH and his teammates the night off.  —  With lefthander John Danks starting for Chicago …

Kid Brother Takes His Cuts  —  His own baseball career died in the minor leagues when every fly ball off his bat seemed to die on the warning track, but he never considered the shortcut some of his contemporaries took.  —  They stuck a needle into their butts.  He refused.  They made millions in the majors.

Nationals place RHP Jerome Williams on 15-day disabled list; select contract of LHP Billy Traber  —  The Washington Nationals today placed right-handed pitcher Jerome Williams on the 15-Day Disabled List with a right shoulder strain and selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Billy Traber …

Wainwright has tendinitis in pitching arm  —  LOS ANGELES — After allowing seven hits and eight runs Tuesday night, Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright told Post-Dispatch baseball writer Joe Strauss that he has been suffering from tendinitis in his pitching arm this season.