Wilkerson, Norton DFA'd; Clement, Balentien here tonight  —  The headline says it all.  Brad Wilkerson and Greg Norton have been designated for assignment, while Jeff Clement and Wladimir Balentien have been recalled from Class AAA Tacoma.  Both will be in-uniform for tonight's game.  They aren't here yet.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Morneau lifts Twins over White Sox 4-3  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Justin Morneau came through with yet another clutch hit, lifting the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox Wednesday with a two-out RBI double in the seventh inning.  —  Nick Blackburn (2-1) wasn't sharp …

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,” …

WRIGHT ON TIME  —  The Mets survived a sub-par Johan Santana outing and an even shakier bullpen performance last night.  —  David Wright's RBI single in the 11th inning gave the Mets a 5-4 victory over the last-place Pirates and boosted their win streak to three after Santana struggled at home again …

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.

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.