Top News:
Amy K. Nelson / ESPN.com:
Team USA's Kevin Youkilis has mild sprain, tendinitis — MIAMI — When it seemed as though the injury news could not get any worse for Team USA, manager Davey Johnson announced on Wednesday that Kevin Youkilis has left the team because of a sore left ankle.
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Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
Youkilis out of WBC with ankle injury — Don't look now, but another Red Sox star has suffered an injury at the World Baseball Classic. — Kevin Youkilis will miss the remainder of the WBC with a mild left ankle sprain and mild Achilles tendinitis in his left foot, the Red Sox said tonight in a statement.
Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
Sox release Josh Bard — Josh Bard's second stint with the Red Sox was even briefer than his first. — The Red Sox announced this morning that they have placed the 30-year old catcher on unconditional release waivers. General manager Theo Epstein indicated that Bard's departure means …
Chico Harlan / Nationals Journal:
Nats Release Hill, Sign Beimel To One-Year, $2 Million Deal — The Nationals today released starting pitcher Shawn Hill and signed free agent left-handed relief pitcher Joe Beimel to a one-year, $2.0 million deal. Both moves can be attributed to uncertainty.
Discussion:
Nats Triple Play, Beyond the Box Score, MLB Rumors, Yahoo! Sports, William World News, Fox Sports and MVN
RELATED:
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Pirates send Gorzelanny to Minors — Former staff ace optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis — BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates announced two cuts from big league camp early on Wednesday morning, then three more after the game against the Twins, and one comes as a bit of a surprise.
RELATED:
Jose de Jesus Ortiz / blogs.chron.com:
Astros take call about trade (w/more notes) — • Photos from Boone news conference and Astros-Yankees game — Not long after Aaron Boone announced he would leave the team to have open-heart surgery, Astros general manager Ed Wade received a call from another team informing him they had a third baseman available.
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Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
With Boone out, Johnson may get look — Touted prospect may become candidate as Astros keep options open — KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Chris Johnson is considerably closer to the big leagues than he was on Tuesday night, but the young third baseman was hardly rejoicing before Wednesday's game between the Astros and Yankees.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
MLB:
New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui won't play in field until at least June — TAMPA, Fla. — Hideki Matsui won't play in the outfield for the New York Yankees until at least interleague road games in June and will be restricted to designated hitter and pinch-hitting appearances until then.
Discussion:
The Yankee Universe, Yahoo! Sports, Sliding Into Home, Pinstripes, Pa. and bronxbanterblog.com
MLB.com:
New York Yankees to open their doors for their Bronx neighbors on Thursday, April 2 — Thousands of fans will get special preview of the new Yankee Stadium — The New York Yankees will welcome thousands of their fellow Bronx neighbors for a special preview of the new Yankee Stadium on Thursday, April 2nd at 11 AM.
Discussion:
New Stadium Insider
Andy Katz / ESPN:
Presidential pick 'em at the White House — ESPN.com takes an exclusive look at President Obama's bracket … WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Barack Obama has studied Lincoln and FDR to help guide him through the early stages of his presidency. — But he is very much a modern man …
Bart Hubbuch / Mets Blog:
Say goodnight, Freddy — PORT ST. LUCIE — We haven't spoken to Jerry Manuel yet, but it's probably safe to say Freddy Garcia won't be long for the Mets' camp. The veteran right-hander's already slim odds of winning the No. 5 starter job appeared to fly out the window here today with his disaster …
Ian O'Connor / Fox Sports:
A-Rod needs to end love affair with himself — Ian O'Connor is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Arnie & Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Golf's Greatest Rivalry,” which Kirkus Reviews calls an “exemplary sports history.” An archived collection of Ian's columns at The Record (N.J.) can be found here.
Mike McDermott / Projo Sox Blog:
Sox cut Josh Bard; Kottaras is in as backup catcher — The team has announced that they have cut catcher Josh Bard, who came into camp as the leader in the battle to back up Jason Varitek at catcher. — General Manager Theo Epstein says that the backup job “is George Kottaras's to lose.”
MLB.com:
Royals request unconditional release waivers on pitcher Jimmy Gobble — Pitcher Anthony Lerew Signed to Minor League Contract — The Kansas City Royals today have requested Unconditional Release Waivers on left-handed pitcher Jimmy Gobble. In addition, the Royals have signed right-handed …
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
60 seconds with Marlins pitcher Logan Kensing — Do you have a duck fetish? — I have no fetish with ducks. My mom always said that ducks in some cultures are considered really good luck. So once a month I get a new one (from her) - rubber duck, stuffed duck, a duck. — Every month?
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
Tony Jackson / Inside the Dodgers:
Kuroda to start Dodgers' season opener, Billingsley to get home opener — Joe Torre told us this morning, just as he headed out the door to play golf on the team's final off-day of the spring. It wasn't an off-day for Chad Billingsley, as he pitched five innings in a minor-league intrasquad game.
Discussion:
True Blue LA
