RUSHING A-ROD ‘LEFT’ TEAM VULNERABLE  —  PRIVATELY, the Yankees admit they incorrectly handled Alex Rodriguez's initial quad strain.  He suffered the injury on April 20 in Baltimore and soon after left the team to be with his wife in Miami for the birth of their second child.

Fielding woes are mounting for shortstop  —  DETROIT - Jonathan Papelbon watched as the ball off Edgar Renteria's bat headed toward shortstop, where he thought he could anticipate the outcome.  An outcome that would get him one out closer to his 11th save of the season.

Gomez pulls off rare Twins cycle  —  Feat is the eighth in team history and first since Puckett in 1986  —  CHICAGO — Twins manager Ron Gardenhire has said numerous times this season to never take your eyes off Carlos Gomez when he's at the plate, because you never know what the 22-year-old center fielder might do.

Questions May Follow Clemens's Apology  —  When Roger Clemens tacitly acknowledged on Monday that he had engaged in extramarital relations, and apologized, he was seen as perhaps undermining the defamation lawsuit he filed in January against his former personal trainer Brian McNamee.

Mr. Redlegs Loses His Head  —  While making his pre-game laps around Great American Ballpark with his trusty sidekick “Gapper” at the wheel, Mr. Redlegs* took a spill off the back of a golfcart and literally lost his head.  —  I feel bad for the poor kids in attendance who were under the impression Mr. Redlegs was real.

Pirates Notebook: Wilson's return pushed back  —  It probably will be close to the end of May before Jack Wilson is back.  —  The Pirates' shortstop, out since April 3 because of a strained left calf, yesterday was moved to a less aggressive timeline, one in which he will need two to three weeks before his return.

Jacobs leaves in third with tight left quad  —  First baseman pulls up after double, might miss a day or two  —  MIAMI — Mike Jacobs is having a rough time while facing the Brewers.  —  The Marlins first baseman was removed in the third inning on Wednesday after he experienced tightness …

Utley's RBI single gets Phils by Arizona  —  PHOENIX (AP)—Arizona's Conor Jackson celebrated his 27th birthday face-down in the dirt at first base after a nasty eighth-inning collision, then Eric Bruntlett and Chase Utley rallied Philadelphia to victory.  —  Bruntlett doubled in the tying run …

Botts outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma  —  Outfielder/first baseman hitting .158 in 38 at-bats this year  —  SEATTLE — Jason Botts is on his way to Triple-A Oklahoma.  He'll join a crowded field of sluggers down there trying to earn playing time and the Rangers' attention.

Childs Walker: Make no mistake, Bonds could help plenty of teams  —  Despite absence, slugger carries value for any team that's in market to win  —  I hope some club signs Barry Bonds this summer.  And I hope he leads that team to the playoffs with a fusillade of walks and 450-foot homers.

Pitch F/X Profile: Greg Smith  —  Lefthander Greg Smith has often taken a back seat to more prominent, “toolsy” prospects during his brief, successful career.  Despite possessing a highly successful collegiate resume, the LSU product did not hear his name called until the 6th round of the 2005 amateur draft …

Startling: Padilla helps Texas Rangers get 2-hit gem  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  SEATTLE - The Texas Rangers still aren't scoring many runs against left-handed starters.  But, when you get the kind of starting pitching they've received from Vicente Padilla, you don't need many.

Webb, D-Backs resume contract talks  —  Looking to lock up one of the best pitchers in baseball into the next decade, the Diamondbacks have resumed talks with ace Brandon Webb on a contract extension, and it appears the sides are getting closer to a deal.  —  “Yeah, some progress has been made,” Webb said.