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.

First-place Rays place closer Percival on DL  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay closer Troy Percival was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain, and the Rays filled the roster opening by activating infielder Willy Aybar on Thursday.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lou seeks lefty slugger  —  Leftovers from the latest edition of Soriano-rama:  —  Before Wednesday's game, Lou Piniella bemoaned, criticized and complained about the lack of a left-handed power hitter on the club.  —  “I know you people are going to misinterpret what I say,” Piniella told the media.

Report: FBI questions McCready in Clemens case  —  The FBI has questioned country singer Mindy McCready, who allegedly had an affair with Roger Clemens, as it investigates whether Clemens perjured himself before a congressional committee, the New York Daily News reported for Thursday's editions.

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 …