Orioles' Patton headed for surgery; out until '09  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Troy Patton will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, delaying the left-hander's debut with the Baltimore Orioles until at least 2009.  —  Obtained in the December trade that sent Miguel Tejada to the Houston Astros …

Papelbon gets $775k from Sox  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. - Jonathan Papelbon was going to be the Red Sox closer this season; there was no doubt about that.  The only question, really, was how much he would be paid.  Would the sides hammer out a multiyear deal?  Would Papelbon be renewed at a number set by the club?

Giants' Lowry needs surgery  —  (03-07) 04:00 PST Tempe, Ariz. — Manager Bruce Bochy tried to put the best face on Thursday's news that Noah Lowry will undergo surgery on his throwing arm today.  Bochy termed the procedure minor, said Lowry might begin throwing “in two, maybe three weeks” and could return to the mound in late April.

Omar Minaya: No time to panic  —  VIERA, Fla. - The Mets might not be the picture of health, but their GM maintains a healthy attitude.  Even though his ballclub has been ravaged by injuries this spring, Omar Minaya insists it is too soon too panic.  —  “I myself have never seen so many injuries at one time,” Minaya said.

Lee says Hunter told him Cubs never called  —  MESA, Ariz. — Forget what White Sox general manager Ken Williams says.  Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee says it's the Cubs who really lost out on center fielder Torii Hunter over the winter.  —  Lee said he was “shocked” when his longtime friend Hunter told …

Baseball Taps Wisdom of Fans  —  If you've ever dreamed of being a Major League Baseball scout, your day has come.  —  Last month, the St. Louis Cardinals announced a novel contest: Fans are invited to submit scouting reports on promising college ballplayers.

A-Rod to DH due to sore shoulder  —  Yankees third baseman skips throwing session  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has a sore right shoulder and is scheduled to be the designated hitter in Friday's game against Houston.  —  Rodriguez said he felt discomfort Thursday …

Hampton leaves spring start with right groin strain  —  KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Oft-injured pitcher Mike Hampton of the Atlanta Braves left his spring training start Friday because of a strained right groin.  —  Hampton, who hasn't pitched in a major league game since August 2005 …

Spring training Game 7: Astros at Yankees  —  YANKEES  —  Pitching  —  Andy Pettitte (2-3 innings, 40 pitches)  —  ASTROS  —  Pitching  —  Notes: Mike Mussina will start tomorrow against the Leave Out The Devil Rays.  Jefff Kartstens will follow along with Kyle Farnsworth, Jon Albaladejo and Ross Ohlendorf. ...

All-you-can-eat seats for 2008  —  At least thirteen of Major League Baseball's 30 teams are offering all-you-can-eat seats for all or part of the 2008 season.  —  Ticket prices for these seats range from $30 at the low end with the Atlanta Braves to $200 at the high end with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Notes: Patterson happy and relaxed  —  Right-hander healthy for first time since 2005  —  VIERA, Fla. — Right-hander John Patterson was scheduled to pitch against the Mets on Thursday night at Space Coast Stadium, but the game was canceled because of rain.

Hillman delivers on-field lecture to players over sloppy base-running despite victory  —  It didn't matter Thursday that Ryan Shealy had just hit a game-ending homer for a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Surprise Stadium.  Or that the Royals had just won their fourth game in a row.

Preview 2008: San Diego Padres  —  by Lindy's  —  For a guy whose professional trademark is consistency, Trevor Hoffman certainly traversed the peaks and valleys in 2007.  —  Hoffman became the first closer in baseball history to notch 500 career saves.  He ranked third in the league …

Pedro throws 53-pitch simulation  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — After having his spring debut washed out the night before in Viera, Pedro Martinez threw a 53-pitch simulated game here this morning.  —  Pedro pronounced himself pleased after the roughly half-hour session, which had him facing Damion Easley …

Gushing water  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — It looks like there might be a slight delay at the start of today's game.  The field has seemed to have sprung a leak.  All of a sudden water started bubbling up behind the pitcher's mound, creating a pooling of water.  The players all seemed a bit confused.