YANKS OBTAIN HINSKE  —  The Yankees acquired veteran lefty hitter Eric Hinske from the Pirates for two minor leaguers not considered significant prospects, righty pitcher Casey Erickson and outfielder Eric Fryer.  —  The move was made by the Yankees for several reasons:

Source: Steadman finds bruise, recommends rest thru ASG  —  Carlos Beltran's trip to Vail, Colo., provided a reassuring diagnosis, a source familiar with the examination told the Daily News.  —  Dr. Richard Steadman, who examined Beltran (pictured right) on Monday, agreed …

Improved two-strike approach helping Tampa Bay Rays offense rank among baseball's best  —  TORONTO — LF Carl Crawford may have delivered the biggest hit of Monday's game, a two-run homer in the third inning off Blue Jays ace RHP Roy Halladay.  —  But it was his single up the middle …

DeCaster Sold to New York Yankees  —  FARGO, N.D. - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 3B Yurendell DeCaster is trading in his RedHawks pinstripes for a set of Yankees pinstripes.  —  The All-Star third baseman has had his contract purchased by the New York Yankees today and will report on Tuesday …

Chicago's Jermaine Dye, New York's Mariano Rivera named the American League Co-Players of the Week presented by Bank of America  —  Right fielder Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox and closer Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees have been named the American League Co-Players of the Week presented …

Angels extend AL West lead after sixth win in a row  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales hit back-to-back home runs that put Los Angeles ahead and the AL West-leading Angels won their sixth straight game, 5-2 over the struggling Texas Rangers on Monday night.

Papelbon ties Red Sox's saves record  —  Closer notches No. 132, remains in awe of Yanks' Rivera  —  BALTIMORE — Closer Jonathan Papelbon tied the Red Sox's club record for saves, set by Bob Stanley, with career save No. 132, notched in a 4-0 victory against the Orioles on Monday night.

Ethier's homer lifts Dodgers in 13th inning  —  Two-run blast gives LA ninth walk-off win of season  —  LOS ANGELES — Andre Ethier simply relishes the big stage, especially late in the game.  —  It sure shows as Ethier hit his Major League-leading seventh walk-off hit over the past …

Source: Beltran back after break  —  The Daily News will show you Citi Field.  Go on the field, into the clubhouse and see how the new stadium was built.  —  Sponsored by:  —  Today's Top Picks … Best Of NYDN.com

Inbox: Should Hughes stay in the 'pen?  —  Beat reporter Bryan Hoch answers fans' questions  —  Phil Hughes has been dominant in relief and seems to have found “something” that wasn't there as a starter.  Maybe this is what he is and they found it by accident.  What do you think?

Francoeur breaks out lucky ‘turkey underwear’  —  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur said he'll wear the same underwear to Turner Field Tuesday that he wore on Sunday.  He claimed the Braves are 7-0 when he wears his Thanksgiving-themed “turkey underwear” to the ballpark.

Can the Florida Marlins win with Emilio Bonifacio?  —  Before delving into the topic du jour, another great outing from Ricky Nolasco.  He gave up two early runs then retired 20 of the last 21 batters he faced.  Since returning from his demotion to Triple-A, Nolasco has not allowed …

Astros option Wright to Triple-A  —  Lefty pitches well, but team needs roster spot  —  SAN DIEGO — Left-hander Wesley Wright knew the news coming, but it didn't make it any easier to swallow.  —  The Astros optioned Wright to Triple-A Round Rock following Monday's 3-1 win over San Diego …

Florida 4, Washington 2  —  a ride to the ballpark on Monday afternoon, the friends and former teammates chatting and catching up.  —  They'll have plenty to talk about next time.  —  Nolasco retired the final 13 batters he faced, spoiling Olsen's stellar return from the disabled list …

Under The Knife  —  Pushing the Envelope?  —  Everything I've read about Beltran heading to Vail has had a decidedly negative aspect to it.  Yes, having Beltran in the home of microfracture surgery is certainly not something you'd want if given a choice, but the knee problem was already extant; worse, it was already recurrent.

Steroid Guessing Is Bad Journalism  —  I am one of the fortunate ones.  Twelve months a year, I'm paid to dispense information and opinions on a major Web site read by millions, not to mention a major TV network watched by millions.  I don't have to STRRRRRETTTTCCH THE TRUTH or make something up to be noticed as a columnist.