HUGHES BATTLES GLARING PROBLEM ON MOUND  —  Phil Hughes is hard to watch right now.  Which is somewhat fitting, since he is having trouble seeing.  —  Joe Girardi revealed after the Tigers' 6-4 victory over the Yankees that Hughes has some difficulty seeing at night, especially at Yankee Stadium.

Schneider released from hospital  —  Mets catcher Brian Schneider was released from the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan this morning after spending nearly a week there with a staph infection in his left thumb.  —  Looking fit despite what he called “a very scary situation,” …

Texas Rangers lose game, starter on skipper's birthday  —  rdurrett@dallasnews.com  —  ARLINGTON - As birthdays go, Ron Washington may not put his 56th on top of his list.  —  The day ended with a 9-5 loss to the Royals, dropping his club to 9-18, the worst record in the majors.

Giants catcher Alfonzo suspended 50 games for positive drug test  —  CBSSports.com wire reports  —  SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Giants minor league catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was suspended 50 games Wednesday for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, the first player penalized …

Church looking for first All-Star bid  —  Reyes, Wright and Beltran could return to NL squad  —  NEW YORK — For those still uneasy about the trade that sent Lastings Milledge to the Nationals in exchange for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church, consider this: Church not only made it onto …

After nicking Halladay, Youkilis tips his cap  —  Given the great admiration Kevin Youkilis has for Roy Halladay, his two-out single in the ninth inning to beat him last night, 1-, felt extra special and left Youkilis and the Red Sox with a feeling of accomplishment in the first game of a homestand …

Report: Smoltz willing to return to Braves' bullpen  —  John Smoltz, who dominated the National League as a closer for 3½ years, is willing to return to the Atlanta Braves' bullpen when he returns from the disabled list, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Tulo's injury latest twist  —  Mutiple mishaps end with Atkins playing second base and backup catcher Iannetta at third.  —  The Denver Post  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Sometimes reality is weirder than fiction.  —  A disappointing season became painful over the course of four hours Tuesday.

Of Jimmy Olson, Spittle And The Dying Of The Light  —  Here's the important thing to remember about Buzz Bissinger, and whatever the heck happened on “Costas Now” about two hours ago: Buzz is not alone.  Sure, he might be metaphorically alone, raining spittle on the imaginary demons that clearly haunt him.

Marlins fall short vs. Dodgers  —  Fish erase early deficit, but Kent delivers in the ninth  —  MIAMI — The Marlins rallied, and they also made three highlight-reel defensive plays, which featured plenty of grittiness and emotion.  But in the end, it wasn't enough.

No progress on new deal for Hudson  —  Second baseman says he wants to stay with Diamondbacks  —  PHOENIX — There's been no movement between the Diamondbacks and Orlando Hudson on a contract for the 2009 season, and even the usually ebullient All-Star second baseman has nothing to say about it.

Moeller returns to Yankees  —  Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting that Chad Moeller went unclaimed on waivers and is back with the Yankees.  —  That is good news for the Yankees, especially given the problems Chris Stewart had last night.  —  If he's on the roster, I suspect Moeller could play tonight.

Wright lifts Mets past Pirates in 11  —  NEW YORK (AP)—David Wright stood at home plate watching, willing the high flyball down the right-field line to land fair.  —  His teammates on base waited.  The Mets' agitated fans were silent.  When the ball dropped just inside the foul line no one moved for a split second.

Bronx Banter: Ten Essential Baseball Books  —  Last month I received an e-mail from Chris Illuminati, the content editor of Phillyburbs.com.  He told me he was asking different people for one baseball book that they'd consider essential.  I picked “No Cheering From the Press Box,” …

Step aside Yankees Universe and Red Sox Nation … Welcome to the future of the American League East.  —  The Orioles are in first place, percentage points ahead of the Red Sox.  Boston, hanging on to its dynasty by its fingernails, is the only thing standing between Baltimore and the fast-rising Tampa Bay Rays.

Vin Scully Awaits Wife's Cue on Continuing Long Run  —  Vin Scully did not — repeat, did not — take the opportunity of receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting on Tuesday from Fordham University's WFUV Radio, where he got his start as a sportscaster in 1947, to announce his retirement as the voice of the Dodgers.

Johnson ousted as coach after Mavs' playoff exit  —  DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson on Wednesday, the first of what's likely to be many offseason moves after the league's highest payroll produced a second straight first-round knockout from the playoffs.