Wakefield forced to back off workload  —  He'll miss next start; Byrd is set to pitch in  —  Victor Martinez (left) and Jonathan Papelbon celebrate after they helped the Red Sox punch out the Blue Jays' lights in the ninth.  (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)  —  With the soreness and stiffness …

Wright tells Mets: ‘I feel good’  —  CHICAGO — David Wright had a bounce in his step and a smile on his face Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the site of a reunion with teammates he wanted no part of being away from in the first place.  —  As his team-imposed stay on the disabled list draws to an end …

Guillen embarrassed after loss to Yanks … Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he feels like he's stealing money from chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, and he wishes he had another pitching option other than Jose Contreras.  —  The latter sentiment may come true when Jake Peavy is ready to pitch for the White Sox.

Zito … SAN FRANCISCO(AP) Something about the heat of a wild card race has Barry Zito looking a lot like a Cy Young Award winner.  —  Zito carried a shutout into the ninth inning, Pablo Sandoval homered and the San Francisco Giants got within a game of the Colorado Rockies for the NL wild card by beating them 5-3 Saturday night.

Scattered thoughts  —  In another move, the Orioles announced that they've traded Ryan Freel, and he wasn't in the organization anymore.  They just couldn't resist.  —  Seriously though, I wouldn't get too shook up about the Orioles surrendering the player they obtained from the Cubs for Freel.

Betances Out After Tommy John Surgery  —  Just had a great 15-minute chat with the Yankees Vice President of Scouting, Damon Oppenheimer.  —  He confirmed that Dellin Betances underwent Tommy John surgery several days ago and is rehabbing in Tampa.  —  There's TONS of great info from this interview as well, but that's the big one.

Justice: Bagwell should be Astros' next manager  —  The first thing Drayton McLane ought to do this morning is telephone Jeff Bagwell and ask him to manage the Astros for these final 33 games.  —  If Bagwell is reluctant, McLane can turn on that Temple charm.  The Astros need a makeover, and this is a good place to begin.

Will Chone Figgins run right out of Anaheim?  —  The Angels would love to keep their leadoff hitter, who leads the AL in runs.  But his speed and versatility will make him a sought-after free agent this winter.  —  Angels third baseman Chone Figgins advances to third base after drawing …

Braves light up Lee, hand ace his first loss with Phillies  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Garret Anderson (FSY) hit a three-run homer off Cliff Lee (FSY) and three other Braves went deep to help the Atlanta Braves hand the Phillies' new ace his first NL loss with a 9-1 win Saturday night over Philadelphia in a rain-shortened game.

Nationals' bullpen struggles nearing historic level  —  The Nationals have 36 bullpen losses, most in the majors by a wide margin.  Toronto was second with 26.  —  The major league record for bullpen losses in a season is 40, set by Colorado in 2004.  Holliday, now a slugging outfielder for St. Louis …

Friendship or Betrayal From Inside the Lines?  —  The suspicions and resentment had built to such a degree that the manager was compelled to call a most unusual team meeting.  It was the middle of July 2001 and the Oakland Athletics' clubhouse was about to explode.

Kennedy: “It doesn't feel like anything ever happened”  —  Ian Kennedy is here, but he isn't here to stay.  He flew into Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last night, he threw a bullpen this afternoon, he's cleaning out his apartment tonight and he'll fly back to Tampa in the morning.

Cincinnati Reds' Dusty Baker heads list of managers on thin ice  —  Minnesota Twins' Joe Crede considering retirement  —  Reds manager Dusty Baker with Cubs manager Lou Piniella.  (Nuccio DiNuzzo, Chicago Tribune / April 15, 2008)  —  The Reds need a strong finish to end talk about Dusty Baker walking the managerial plank.