Easy does it with Lugo  —  CLEVELAND - Armed with a 10-game winning streak and an effective Nick Green, the Red Sox aren't going to go crazy trying to incorporate Julio Lugo into an everyday role at shortstop until he shows he can handle it physically.  —  That seemed to me the theme of both Lugo and Terry Francona this afternoon.

Padres add Gaudin, designate De La Cruz  —  Veteran righty was signed to Minors deal April 12  —  Chad Guadin has made it back to the big leagues.  —  On Monday, the Padres purchased the contract of the right-handed pitcher from Triple-A Portland.  To make room for Guadin …

PUTRID PEREZ FACES BULLPEN OR MINORS  —  The Mets might have been better off lighting that $36 million on fire.  —  Just four starts into Oliver Perez's dubious three-year deal, the Mets already are running out of patience with the mercurial left-hander after he imploded again yesterday in an 8-1 loss to the Nationals.

A painful awakening for Cubs: Bats finally erupt to help snap skid vs. Cardinals, but sore neck puts Lee out of lineup  —  Bats finally erupt to help snap skid, but sore neck puts Lee out of lineup  —  ST. LOUIS — The Cubs escaped St. Louis with a win Sunday as the lineup finally awoke from a four-day slumber.

A more effective Hughes is headed back to Yankees  —  BOSTON - Phil Hughes is on his way back into the Yankees' rotation.  —  Hughes, 22, is the likely replacement for Chien-Ming Wang, who was placed on the disabled list with hip weakness after Friday's game.

Irabu to make comeback in independent league in U.S.  —  Former New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu (file photo) has come out of retirement and made a contract with Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League, his management revealed on April 27.

Expiration Date  —  Next weekend, I plan to meet my former teammate and good friend Marlon Anderson here in Chicago.  His family will be in town for a wedding, and it is one of those rare occasions since I stopped playing baseball when he and I will be in the same city.  —  But isn't he supposed to be in uniform?

Phillies' Romero suing supplement makers  —  Suspended Phillies reliever J.C. Romero is suing the makers and distributors of nutritional supplements that he says are responsible for his positive steroid test last August.  —  The 27-page lawsuit, filed Monday in the Superior Court of New Jersey …

Peter King: Jets-Browns trade, thoughts on all 32 draft classes … KANSAS CITY — I'm going to have 32 opinions on 32 teams here in a few paragraphs, and a few will surprise you.  But I've got to start off with a cool story that played a big part in the trade of the weekend — and, in all likelihood, the trade of the year in the NFL.

Monday Ten Pack  —  Homer Bailey, RHP, Reds (Triple-A Louisville)  —  Bailey has been crowned as the savior of the Reds' rotation for some time now, but he's run into some frustrating bouts of inconsistency at the upper levels.  Some mechanical changes this spring renewed his former promise …

Astros notes: Valverde may miss more time  —  Valverde iffy  —  Closer Jose Valverde may need to miss more time with the strained calf muscle that cost him a few days of availability during the Astros' homestand.  In closing Sunday's 3-2 win over the Brewers, Valverde felt pain on every pitch and …