Game 53: Rangers at Yankees (updates with Wang returning to rotation and Teixeira scratched)  —  YANKEES (31-21)  —  New lineup  —  Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (5-1, 4.10).  —  RANGERS (30-21)  —  Kinsler 2B  —  Young 3B  —  Jones DH  —  Cruz RF  —  Murphy LF  —  Byrd CF  —  Davis 1B

Atlanta Braves cut 305-game winner Tom Glavine … ATLANTA — In a stunning move, the Atlanta Braves released 305-game winner Tom Glavine on Wednesday, just when it seemed he was ready to return to the big leagues.  —  The move was first reported by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

Farm report: Holt to Binghamton  —  Mets officials say Brad Holt is on a similar trajectory to Mike Pelfrey.  So Holt, the 33rd overall pick in the draft one year ago and the fastest-rising pitching prospect in the organization, was promoted to Double-A Binghamton on Wednesday.

Baseball's Lebron … One rainy February day in Las Vegas, home to a fake pyramid, a phony volcano, a faux Eiffel Tower, an ersatz New York skyline, a pirated copy of a pirate ship and the clever sleights-of-hand of magicians and plastic surgeons, Sam Thomas watched two men stretching …

Nobody's perfect: The early line on trade needs for the contenders … No team looks perfect with nearly two months to go before the trade deadline ... well, no team except the Dodgers, that is.  Whomever they use performs.  At least that's the way it looks now.

Mets insist Beltran, Maine do not have swine flu … Mets people insist that center field star Carlos Beltran and starting pitcher John Maine do not have swine flu or any of several symptoms of the virus in the wake of a swine flu scare involving another member of the Mets' traveling party.

Notes from Newman (Mitre, Russo, McAllister, Vazquez...)  —  A phone call with Yankees vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman touched on any number of subjects.  Let's tackle them one at a time, shall we?  —  Sergio Mitre  —  Probably the most immediately newsworthy information …

Welcome to the Majors, Daniel Schlereth  —  This time last year, Daniel Schlereth was waiting to be drafted by a team.  The University of Arizona reliever found himself chosen by the hometown Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round.  A few days ago, Schlereth got the promotion from Double-A …

Rangers Start Trade Talks; Place Vicente Padilla On Outright Waivers  —  UPDATED: 3:35 with correct waiver process information  —  NEW YORK - The Rangers have started the search for more parts for a playoff run in earnest, but will likely have to move some salary in order to acommodate a major trade.

Reliving the Randy Johnson experience  —  What's it like hitting against the Big Unit?  Hitters share their often terrifying moments.  —  ESPN The Magazine … The most fitting tribute to the greatness of Randy Johnson came 12 years ago when Baltimore Orioles manager Davey Johnson benched …

Roy Halladay would like you to wait before voting for Cy Young  —  Not that anyone would ever jump the gun around here, but can someone call the Cy Young engraver and tell him to suspend the Zack Greinke  —  order?  —  Oh, he can hold onto it for safekeeping.  —  And if he's already finished with the ‘Z’ and ‘A’?

Sammy Sosa planning to announce formal retirement  —  SANTO DOMINGO — Former Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa said Wednesday that he will soon announce his formal retirement from baseball and that he will not allow his legacy to be stained by steroid-use accusations.

Niemann throws two-hitter, Zobrist hits grand slam as Rays rout Royals  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Niemann took a perfect game into the fifth inning and wound up with a two-hitter, and Ben Zobrist hit a grand slam to help lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 9-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.