Top News:
David Lennon / On the Mets beat:
Pedro returns to DR — The Mets have scratched today's bullpen session for Pedro Martinez after he had to return to the Dominican Republic to tend to his ill father, Pablo, who suffered a setback this morning in his battle with brain cancer. Martinez already had landed in Atlanta when he got …
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Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Pedro's test Wednesday — ATLANTA - Pedro Martinez is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday at Turner Field, and Willie Randolph echoed Martinez's belief that the righthander should pitch during next week's home stand. — It was after rotator cuff surgery that Martinez joined …
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Pedro leaves Mets to be with ill father — Pitcher was to throw bullpen session on Wednesday — ATLANTA — Pedro Martinez's return to pitching in the big leagues has been delayed by a medical episode involving his father. — The Mets pitcher, close to ending his assignment on the disabled list …
Discussion:
Mets Blog
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Jeter hit by pitch on hand, day-to-day — Despite contusion, Yanks captain hopes to play Wednesday — NEW YORK — The thud of baseball hitting bone may have been something awful, but — no surprise here — Derek Jeter said he will be all right. — The Yankees shortstop was hit …
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Mike Rose / On the Mets beat:
Church feeling OK — Good news on Ryan Church, who just spoke to reporters and said he intends to play either tomorrow or Friday. Church had a CT scan after Tuesday's game and it came back clear, meaning that the blow to the head did not cause severe damage.
Discussion:
Mets Blog
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Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Nice encore by Masterson — Red Sox rookie Justin Masterson answered reporters' questions after pitching the Red Sox to victory Monday night. — The drama last night in the Fens came in smaller bites. Instead of nine innings of no hits, there was one bases-loaded whiff …
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Ian Browne / MLB.com:One down of what he hopes is many — Masterson picks …
Discussion:
Ken Davidoff's baseball …
Janie McCauley / Associated Press:
Eveland, Cust lead A's past Rays 9-1 — OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Athletics suddenly have found some power— and Dana Eveland did a stellar job shutting down Tampa Bay's talented lineup. — Eveland pitched a three-hitter for his first career complete game, Jack Cust homered twice …
Discussion:
Athletics Nation
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David Pinto / Baseball Musings:
Games of the Day — The Tampa Bay Rays go for a sweep of the Oakland Athletics as Andy Sonnanstine faces Dana Eveland this afternoon. Sonnanstine is undefeated away from the Trop, allowing just two home runs and three walks in twenty eight innings. Eveland is undefeated at home, posting a 0.92 ERA in Oakland.
Discussion:
Athletics Nation
Craig / FishStripes:
Jacque Jones revisited — As it turns out the Marlins aren't quite sure what they are going to do with Jacque Jones . … First off, it is not clear to me that Jones can play center in the vast lawn in JRS. In fact, I keep hearing that he is poorly suited for the job.
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Steinbrenner: Yanks down but not out — Co-chairman unhappy with play but optimistic for turnaround — NEW YORK — Hank Steinbrenner said Wednesday that he is “very down” about his team's 20-25 start, but the Yankees' co-chairman remains confident that he is still presiding over a playoff-caliber club.
Discussion:
Bombers Beat
Sports Illustrated:
Tigers will put Willis in 'pen on return — Dontrelle Willis has been told by Tigers people that they plan to put him in the bullpen when he returns from the disabled list. — Willis is said to be “probably not too happy about it,” according to a friend.
Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Revolving Yankee Hurts — Alex Rodriguez (0 DXL) — A couple of weeks back, I got an angry email saying that, while I was assigning A-Rod a DXL of 15, other sources were saying he was out until the All-Star break. I was a bit surprised that a simple, well-known injury to the best-known player …
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Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:Future Shock — NL East Notebook — Atlanta Braves
Discussion:
Phuture Phillies
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates' drafting eye on Alvarez, Beckham — List of prospects for No. 2 pick down to just five — The Pirates' list of prospects for the No. 2 overall pick in the June 5 draft, which was seven deep a week ago, now is down to a handful. — Maybe less.
ESPN:
Mets' Randolph backs away from racial comments — The New York Mets, having recently worked their way out of one self-created distraction, now have another. — Manager Willie Randolph on Tuesday backed away from comments he made in a Monday column in The Bergen (N.J.) …
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Chone improvement? — Angels' infielder Figgins fits a need, and his name keeps coming up in trade rumors — White Sox general manager Ken Williams chose his words carefully. — On one hand, there has been increased speculation that his interest in Los Angeles Angels infielder Chone Figgins has grown.
John Brattain / Hardball Times:
Maybe it should be called “mediacrity”... O.K. just so we're clear—this is not about Barry Bonds. This is about the media, period. — Whether it was pre-1947, the Peter Ueberroth era, the aught (ownership paid a settlement as part of the last collective bargaining agreement negotiations) …
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
Mike Rose / On the Mets beat:
Willie apologizes (updated with his opening remarks) — In a surprising development, Willie Randolph delivered a public apology during his pregame session with reporters a few minutes ago. Randolph read from a sheet of paper with handwritten notes and said he was sorry …
Discussion:
New York Post
