Joba's first start to come Tuesday  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Joba Chamberlain is set to join the Yankees' rotation on Tuesday, starting against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium and completing his transition from the club's bullpen.  —  Yankees manager Joe Girardi officially announced the move …

Posey projected to go No. 1 to Rays … Making a first-round projection is like slamming your head into an omelette — there's no way to do it without ending up with egg on your face.  So, with a towel handy, here's my stab at the first 30 picks of next week's Rule 4 draft, accompanied by notes on other directions each team might take:

Mild rotator cuff strain sends Matsuzaka to DL … BALTIMORE (AP) — Daisuke Matsuzaka was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday by the Boston Red Sox, who opted to take a cautious approach after an MRI exam revealed a mild strain of his right rotator cuff.  —  Matsuzaka was examined in Boston by Dr. Thomas Gill.

Braves place outfielder Kotsay on DL  —  Club recalls Anderson frm Triple-A Richmond  —  CINCINNATI — Even though he felt like he was realizing some improvement, Mark Kotsay was never able to convince himself or the Braves that his back wasn't going to continue giving him problems for at least another week.

The Diplomat Who Touches All the Bases  —  Officially, for the last 6 1/2 years, Ryozo Kato's title in Washington has been ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States of America.  —  Unofficially, he's just “a baseball nut.”  —  This week, upon leaving …

Giants honor SS Vizquel for record  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Omar Vizquel prides himself most in making the routine play, more so than pulling off the spectacular leaping catch of a sharp line drive or a difficult diving stop.  —  He long strived to play defense like Luis Aparicio, his Venezuelan countryman and fellow shortstop.

Rangers 3B Blalock to miss another month  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—Former All-Star third baseman Hank Blalock had surgery Friday on his right wrist and will be sidelined for at least another month.  —  Blalock has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 29 due to a torn hamstring.

No, I'm not Chuck Todd  —  There are certain pleasures in writing anonymously.  Particularly in the political world, where there is a whole mythology associated with anonymity — think Deep Throat or Primary Colors or Atrios.  But I'm fortunate enough to have been granted the opportunity …

Drop-off in home runs not as deep as it may seem  —  Barry Bonds is home in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mike Piazza is retired.  And Sammy Sosa is waiting for a job.  —  While the names have changed, the number of home runs being hit is virtually the same as a year ago, varying little from Mark McGwire's record-setting season in 1998.

Utley hits 18th HR, Phils move into 1st  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Brett Myers seemed on his way to another short outing after a shaky first inning.  A reliever was warming up, the crowd was booing and Myers didn't feel right.  —  “It made me lock it in even more,” Myers said.

Indians' Hafner (shoulder) placed on disabled list  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cleveland designated hitter Travis Hafner, after taking a few practice swings, was sent home Friday and will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right shoulder.  —  Hafner, who is hitting only .217 …

Will the Rockies trade All-Star Holliday … Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd is the sort of fellow who has the ability to make a brutally honest assessment of his team.  “We stink,” O'Dowd said in a recent interview, an interview conducted even before the Rockies were throttled 20-5 …

Pedro will make his Mets return at San Francisco  —  Pedro Martinez will make his next start for the Mets in San Francisco next week, a team official confirmed last night.  —  Martinez was believed to be en route to New York yesterday from Port St. Lucie, Fla. Because he's Pedro, though …