El Duque might start season on DL  —  MEMPHIS - Mets officials appeared to be leaning toward placing Orlando Hernandez on the DL to start the season, paving the way for Mike Pelfrey to make at least two starts, the first opposite Tom Glavine on Saturday in Atlanta, the Daily News has learned.

Orioles release Gibbons  —  Team responsible for paying $11.9 million left on outfielder's contract  —  The Orioles finalized their roster today, releasing veteran outfielder Jay Gibbons, who had been the second longest tenured member of the club.  —  With the move, the Orioles …

PINKY WOE NO WORRY FOR JETER  —  Of course, he was fine.  Isn't he always?  —  After Derek Jeter was lifted in the third inning of last night's 4-2 exhibition win over the Marlins, the question was why.  —  “During batting practice a ground ball nipped his finger, the right pinky …

Dodgers' Pierre isn't happy about situation  —  Veteran outfielder, who will learn today whether he has lost starting job in left to Ethier, says he doesn't get management's thinking.  —  Juan Pierre will meet with Manager Joe Torre before the Dodgers' exhibition finale against the Boston Red Sox today …

Brian Cashman answers your questions  —  We've had a lot of fun with the reader Q&A feature on the blog but this one is special.  —  We put the word out for questions for Brian Cashman last week and a record 512 e-mails came into blog headquarters from around the world.

To Be Dealt: Bay, Nady, Marte, Morris, Wilson  —  A short but sweet article came out in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette this morning detailing the Pirates' five main trade candidates.  No new or surprising names appear on the list but it's a handy roundup for those not up to date on their Bucco news.

Giants cut veterans Alfonzo, Kline  —  Roster spots likely to be filled by young relievers  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants jettisoned a pair of veterans on Saturday, optioning catcher Eliezer Alfonzo to Triple-A Fresno and designating left-hander Steve Kline for assignment in a move that will officially be announced Sunday.

Stark: The Braves are back … We take you back in time to the first week of March.  The 2008 Grapefruit League was only a few days old.  But a National League scout already had caught on to something that hadn't yet dawned on the rest of the hemisphere.  —  He'd just returned from watching the new, improved Atlanta Braves.

Ozzie reveals Opening Day lineup  —  Uribe to play second, Swisher to lead off against Sabathia  —  MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Ozzie Guillen never has been one to hide the truth from White Sox fans, the media covering the team or anyone else in the general vicinity when he is holding court.

Angels' closer Rodriguez to wait on negotiation talks  —  ANAHEIM - Opening Day might be a point of no return for the Angels and closer Francisco Rodriguez, but neither side is willing to say so at this point.  —  Rodriguez can become a free agent after this season and has made it known he expects to test the market.

A Journey to Baseball's Alternate Universe  —  Ithaca, N.Y.  —  WITH the baseball season under way and the memory of scandal in the sport so fresh, many fans yearn for an earlier era, a time when mythology mingled with baseball.  The sport's most mythic achievement is Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak …

Big picture is Texas Rangers' focus  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  When the Cleveland Indians decided to embrace the rebuilding concept after the 2002 season, general manger Mark Shapiro took his top lieutenants on that staple of corporate America - a leadership retreat.