Washington Nationals and former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes still trying to get his life in order  —  TAMPA — Former Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes returns to Tropicana Field tonight for the first time in nearly two years, when the then-rookie was placed on the inactive list amid swirling legal …

Lowrie spinning his wheels  —  Live BP in Lowell is his next step  —  It was raining Yankee runs in the seventh (they scored three), so Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen was headed for the shower.  (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)  —  Jed Lowrie, who continues to rehab following wrist surgery …

Papelbon fined for pace-of-game violation  —  BOSTON n- Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who picked up his 16th save of the season in last night's 4-3 win over the Yankees at Fenway Park, tying him with the Angels' Brian Fuentes for the American League lead, was fined by Major League Baseball earlier …

Chien-Ming Wang is Doing Something Wrong  —  After another less than stellar performance last night, the Yankees have to be worried about Chien-Ming Wang.  Wang, who entered the 2008 season fresh off back-to-back 19 win seasons, suffered a season ending sprain to his right foot while running …

Surprise performances (cont.)  —  1. David Ortiz, Red Sox DH.  Boston people remain worried despite Ortiz's improved hitting of late.  And judging by his recent dugout fits, Ortiz remains worried, too.  —  2. Chien-Ming Wang, Yankees SP.  Wang's ERA is the highest in history after five starts.

Rehab stint around the corner for Rays' Kazmir … ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir has thrown 44 pitches in a three-inning simulated game and hopes to begin a rehabilitation assignment next week.  —  Kazmir three 44 pitches on Friday, while also working on his mechanics.

A Q&A with Jonah Keri  —  Many of you know Jonah Keri form his time at Baseball Prospectus, or his time at ESPN.com, or .... well, everywhere else.  He's everywhere nowadays and even has a book coming out next year covering the Tampa Bay Rays rise to prominence.  He was also kind enough to answer a few questions from our staff.

Quotes: Manuel on the Bullpen  —  Last night, in the 11th inning, and Pedro Feliciano already out of the game, Jerry Manuel called upon Ken Takahashi to pitch for Robert Parnell against the left-handed Chase Utley with a runner on base.  —  Takahashi walked Utley, let up a double to Shave Victorino …

Two Tough Mets, but Then What?  —  Late Wednesday evening, Gary Matthews Sr. sat in one of the spacious lounges at Citi Field talking about the Phillies and their rivalry with the Mets.  —  The Mets have beaten Philadelphia four times in seven games this season after Thursday night's 6-3 loss …

Seeing Seagulls by the Lakeshore*  —  The Kansas City Royals lost Thursday night when the game-winning hit bounced off a seagull.  —  Now, that sentence — as marvelously constructed as it may be — is a bit misleading.  The Royals were going to lose anyway Thursday night.

Phillies Minor League Player Ozuna Suspended  —  The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Philadelphia Phillies Minor League infielder Pablo Ozuna has received a 50-game suspension after showing an elevated Testosterone/Epitestosterone ratio, a performance-enhancing substance violation …

Jerry Manuel Has No Clue  —  We spent some time this offseason discussing optimal lineup construction, ultimately realizing that the difference between the best and worst lineups is only a few runs per season.  I don't expect a major league manager like Jerry Manuel to construct a lineup based on …

Minute Maid Park alcohol seller's license at risk  —  The company that sells alcoholic beverages at Minute Maid Park could lose one of its state licenses at the stadium because of an incident last summer in which an allegedly drunken driver leaving an Astros game hit and killed a pedestrian.

Orlando Hernandez agrees with Rangers  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — El Duque will try to make a comeback with the Texas Rangers.  —  Orlando Hernandez, who has been part of four World Series championship teams, agreed to a minor league contract Thursday with the Rangers.

A new client for Scott Boras?  How about McCourt's son  —  Gavin McCourt, the son of Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, was drafted in the 39th round Thursday by the Boston Red Sox.  Will Scott Boras do the negotiating?  —  McCourt was an all-league outfielder at North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake …