Does L.A. now have cash for Peavy?  —  From a competitive standpoint, Manny Ramirez's suspension matters to the Padres in much the same way a hamburger does to a devout Hindu.  —  It is a curiosity, but not really much of a concern.  That the Dodgers'outfielder would find use for a drug designed …

Hinch expected to replace Melvin  —  SAN DIEGO - Off to an uneven start to a season that was brimming with expectations, the Diamondbacks fired manager Bob Melvin on Thursday night.  —  Melvin was given the news Thursday night after the team returned from its road trip in San Diego …

Former Red Sox star Dom DiMaggio dies at 92  —  Dominic DiMaggio (left) and older brother Joe posed for a photo in April 1940.  —  Dom DiMaggio, who despite having to share an outfield with Ted Williams and a name with his older brother Joe became a diamond standout in his own right …

Now Girardi tells us Mariano's shoulder has been bothering him  —  In the post game show tonight on YES, Joe Girardi admitted that Mariano Rivera's surgically repaired shoulder has been bothering him for a while now.  He said it wasn't a major issue, but that it just seems to be a little tired which is affecting his velocity.

Thank you Jason Bay  —  “Innocent until proven guilty”........  Are we at the point now where that has morphed into, “I hope he didn't,” or, “I'm sure he did,” and both sentiments carry as much validity and weight as the initial belief?  I'd sure as heck love to think not …

Lugo could be secret weapon  —  Boston (18-11) vs. Tampa Bay (14-16), 7:10 p.m. ET  —  BOSTON — Perhaps lost amid the shuffle during a wild Thursday night at Fenway Park was the resurgence of Julio Lugo.  —  Though the shortstop had been activated from the disabled list on April 27, it took a while for Lugo to make an impact.

ROBERTS WHIFFS ON A-ROD AND 'ROIDS  —  Will Rogers, it is said, never met a man he didn't like.  Selena Roberts never met an anonymous source she didn't quote.  Roberts has written a book about Alex Rodriguez, and it is a journalistic abomination.  That phrase probably won't appear …

Note: Shane Victorino is a Cheater  —  Last night, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and Luis Castillo did a nice job of chasing down Shane Victorino in a pickle between first and second.  —  However, on the pass from Reyes to Delgado, before the tag, Victorino intentionally elbowed Reyes …

Murphy's future with Mets could be in infield  —  What if the Mets did sign Manny Ramirez this winter?  For starters, they would be preparing for life without Manny right around now, and presumably calling up Daniel Murphy from Triple-A Buffalo to take his place.

Smoltz gets peace of mind with visit to doctor  —  BOSTON — The setback John Smoltz experienced recently in his rehab from shoulder surgery raised enough concern in the veteran pitcher that he made a trip to Birmingham, Ala., for a check-up with Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery last June.

Q&A: Daniel Murphy, the Insurance Person  —  SNY's Ask the Booth inbox gets a wide variety of e-mails, from reasonable baseball questions for Ron Darling to unmentionable personal questions for Keith Hernandez.  —  Sorting through them is a chore, but one that pays off big …

Struggling Niese surprised to be in Flushing  —  Jon Niese didn't post any wins in five minor league starts this season, so perhaps his reaction was understandable when he learned Wednesday night that he was being summoned to New York to take Oliver Perez's spot in the Mets' starting rotation Friday night against the Pirates.