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.

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.

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.

Thunder RF Tabata disciplined again  —  TRENTON - Thunder right fielder Jose Tabata was yanked from tonight's game against visiting New Hampshire in the fifth inning for unspecified disciplinary reasons.  —  Suspended three games by the Yankees for leaving Waterfront Park following …

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.

West Coast Cool Suits Serene Torre  —  Joe Torre slept about two and a half hours in a Midtown hotel before spending part of his second day in New York since February sitting with some kindergartners.  Torre, the old Yankees manager, the older Mets manager and the current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

Video: Pedro Martinez Clips from PSL  —  Pedro Martinez allowed two runs on four hits, while striking out six, through six strong innings for Single-A St. Lucie tonight.  —  He tossed 82 pitches, 67 for strikes, and gave up all four hits in the fourth inning.