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.
Discussion:
Fack Youk, SOX & Dawgs, YFSF, Fox Sports, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Center Field, Over the Monster, Projo Sox Blog and The Joy of Sox
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Jack Curry / New York Times:
Wright Plays Through Pain as Depleted U.S. Falls — MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — David Wright fouled a ball off his left foot in the first inning Wednesday night, hopped around the batter's box and looked to be in a lot of pain. The looks were not deceiving as Wright later explained that driving …
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.
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:You can Wright it down, USA is in semis
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …, Purple Row, Twinkie Town, Sons of Steve Garvey, MVN and SOX & Dawgs
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.
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Chico Harlan / Nationals Journal:
Some Pre-Game Notes — Notes, notes, notes. — * Reminder: Watch everything tonight on MASN. Rob Dibble. Bob Carpenter. MASN, my friends. Their updates are more instantaneous than mine. And in HD! (Or is it? Not sure. Either way, newspapers haven't mastered that trick yet.)
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Carpenter looks good — On Wednesday, Carpenter added “expedient” to La Russa's plaudits. — The righthander became the first Cardinals starter this spring to throw a pitch in the sixth inning as he needed just 64 pitches to collect 18 outs from the Baltimore Orioles at Roger Dean Stadium.
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Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
St. Louis Cardinals' Chris Perez sidelined with shoulder issue — The club held back Perez from today's trip to Port Charlotte, marking the second time this week he has been scratched from an assignment. — General manager John Mozeliak and manager Tony La Russa played down the severity …
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:
Bottom9 Baseball
Chuck Finder / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Spring Training: Yankees speaking highly of prospects sent to Pirates — ‘the Kids’ — TAMPA, Fla. — Only outfielder Jose Tabata made the trip back to the spring-training workplace formerly known as Legends Field. The rest of those four New York Yankees refugees stayed behind last night …
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Fred Mitchell / Chicago Tribune:
Fergie Jenkins, Greg Maddux to have No. 31 retired by Chicago Cubs — At long last, Ferguson Jenkins received the call. — The Cubs plan to retire the No. 31 he and future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux wore during a special ceremony May 3 before the Cubs host the Florida Marlins at Wrigley Field.
Discussion:
Wrigleyville23
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Steinbrenner Is Forever Young in a New Children's Book — KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The illustrated George Steinbrenner is smiling and robust on the cover of “One Last Time: Goodbye to Yankee Stadium,” the latest Yankees-themed children's book by Ray Negron, an adviser for the club.
Discussion:
Hardball Times
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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.
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
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.”
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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 …
