Top News:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Wang to remain in Florida — Cashman believes 2008 injury is root of righty's '09 woes — BOSTON — The Yankees have not reached an official decision on what they will do with Chien-Ming Wang, but in a telling sign, he was told to forget traveling to Fenway Park and remain at the club's complex in Tampa, Fla.
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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Game 16: Yankees at Red Sox (updated with Joe Girardi audio) — Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (0-0, 5.06). — Chamberlain vs. the Boston hitters. — RED SOX (9-6) — Ellsbury CF — Pedroia 2B — Ortiz DH — Youkilis 1B — Drew RF — Bay LF — Lowell 3B — Varitek C
Ben Reiter / Sports Illustrated:
With the Yankees' current makeup, Joba probably belongs in the 'pen … David Ortiz the other day issued a warning to Joba Chamberlain — who has over the course of his young career been even more accurate when aiming his fastballs toward the skull of Kevin Youkilis than toward the mitt of his catcher …
Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
What they're saying about Sox-Yanks — There's a perception around these parts that the Sox-Yankees rivalry has lost some of its luster and contentiousness in recent years — particularly during a three-game series in April — but George Costanza's favorite author tells us this morning that he doesn't believe that's the case.
Discussion:
NY Daily News, New York Post, Fox Sports, The Voice of Yankees Universe and Pinstripe Alley
Gordon Edes / Yahoo! Sports:
The road not taken: Alex Rodriguez's career with Boston — The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox renew their rivalry this weekend without Alex Rodriguez, who is rehabbing from hip surgery at the Yankees' training facility in Tampa, injury merely the latest twist in his tortured saga in pinstripes.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Slumping Mets eye major shakeup — ST. LOUIS - Jerry Manuel shook up his lineup Thursday afternoon, but the tinkering became irrelevant when the Mets' starting pitching again faltered. — Now, a more significant shakeup may be looming, with coaches on the firing line and Mike Pelfrey's …
David Murphy / Philly.com:
Hamels OK after line drive tattoos him in Phillies' loss to Brewers — IT IS easy to imagine the types of thoughts that fly through a pitcher's mind when a line drive comes screaming off a bat headed directly toward the front of the mound, particularly when the hitter is Prince Fielder …
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Matt Clapp / Sharapova's Thigh:
Zack Greinke Has The Admirable Story, Not Josh Hamilton — I've gotten tired of hearing about the “hero” Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is. Yeah I'm happy for him that he overcame drug addiction, became a 2008 All-Star and MVP candidate, and put on a show in the 2008 Home Run Derby, but come on now.
Discussion:
Deadspin
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Ryan, Romero land on disabled list — Closer shelved indefinitely; rookie may return by mid-May — TORONTO — The Blue Jays are being forced to reconfigure their pitching staff once again. Sticking with the unfortunate trend of the past few seasons, Toronto lost another pair of arms …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
D-backs P Webb shut down again after setback … PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb experienced a setback Friday in his attempt to recover from shoulder problems that have sidelined him since his opening-day start. — Webb's scheduled bullpen session was canceled …
Discussion:
Fox Sports
Jay Jaffe / Baseball Prospectus:
The Biz Beat — Forbes on Baseball — Forbes came out with its annual Business of Baseball report this week, including the magazine's estimates of each team's financial performance and current value. By the time you read this, Bud Selig and a few team execs will have probably called the numbers ludicrous, or worse.
MLB:
Milton Bradley of the Chicago Cubs says he's unable to play, and won't ‘snap’ — CHICAGO — After playing one game at far less than full speed, Chicago Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley said Thursday he's not close to returning from a lingering groin injury. — Bradley
