Will Delgado sit against Kershaw?  —  With the Mets facing Dodgers righthander Brad Penny tonight, Carlos Delgado will be back at first base after two games on the bench.  —  The fascinating lineup, however, will be tomorrow, when the Mets face young lefthanded phenom Clayton Kershaw.

Rays place closer Percival on DL  —  MRI on hamstring negative; club recalls infielder Aybar  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Prior to Thursday's game, the Rays cautiously placed Troy Percival on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain and reinstated infielder Willy Aybar from the DL.

Mariners Notebook |  Morrow switch to role of starter looks more iffy  —  All the talk about the Mariners converting Brandon Morrow to a starting role out of the team's bullpen this year was apparently just that.  —  Now that the talking is done, it seems the Mariners have ruled it out.

The Voice of God  —  Discussing faith, family and Derek Jeter with longtime Yankee Stadium announcer Bob Sheppard  —  Anyone who has attended a Yankee's home game since the mid-twentieth century has been greeted by the unique—and now legendary—style of player introductions given over the stadium's public address system:

Posada takes another step forward  —  Here's the latest on Jorge Posada:  —  He played in an extended spring training game in Tampa against the Blue Jays.  He was 1 for 2 with two walks and a GIDP.  He caught but did not throw to the bases during the game.  —  He went through his throwing program before the game.

McAllister Promoted to Tampa, Almonte Activated  —  CHARLESTON- Charleston RiverDogs starting pitcher Zach McAllister has been promoted to the High Class-A Tampa Yankees, the New York Yankees announced Thursday.  Outfielder Abraham Almonte has also been activated from the disabled list to keep the RiverDogs at 25 players.

Presenting the All-2012 team … What a week for rookies.  First, Clayton Kershaw debuted for the Dodgers, tossing a strong six innings on Sunday, striking out seven.  Then, on Tuesday, Jay Bruce stepped into the Reds' lineup for the first time and promptly delivered a 3-for-3 performance.

Twins claim Breslow to bolster lefthanded relief  —  KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Twins have claimed lefthanded pitcher Craig Breslow off waivers from the Cleveland Indians, and he will join his new team in time for Friday's game against the Yankees, the Twins announced today.

Lies, Damned Lies  —  Evaluating Pitcher Hitting  —  In the six years that I've generated PECOTA forecasts, I've never bothered to run hitting projections for pitchers.  In fact, I've regarded pitcher hitting as something of a nuisance; I specifically screen out any pitchers so that they won't be selected as comparable players.

Take Me Out of the Hall Game  —  The Hall of Fame was in the headlines last week, and not just because the retirement of Mike Piazza kindled the inevitable debate over the catcher's Cooperstown credentials.  No, an even more deserving honoree made waves via what was almost certainly a first: a request to the voters not to be elected.

Mulder's shoulder woes pushing back return date  —  ST. LOUIS — An All-Star break return for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Mark Mulder, once seemingly a certainty for both the player and manager Tony La Russa, on Thursday appeared to be a deadline that'll be impossible to meet.

Mets may pursue veteran Hatteberg  —  With Anderson injured, club looking for left-handed hitter  —  NEW YORK — Should the Mets determine their primary left-handed pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson will require an extended assignment to the disabled list, they may move to add veteran Scott Hatteberg …

Top 100 Most Valuable Sports Blogs  —  Deadspin Valued at Over $16 Million  —  How much is your sports blog worth?  Did it make the top 100?  Read this to find out.  —  I am basing the valuations off DN Scoop, a website that values websites based on links, PR, traffic rank, and other factors.

Same-sex couple claims bias at Safeco Field  —  SEATTLE — A local lesbian couple says a peck on the lips nearly got the two of them tossed out of a Mariners game.  —  The women said in an arena where even chanting and screaming are allowed, they were singled out by a security guard simply because they kissed each other.

Pettitte, Joba pitch Yankees to win  —  Sweep averted in Baltimore with a little help from Giambi  —  BALTIMORE — The bullpen gates swung open for the ninth inning, and Mariano Rivera coasted across the outfield, the same graceful gait the Yankees closer has showcased for years.