Top News:
Tim Britton / MLB.com:
Yanks will sit Vazquez until Friday — Instead of starting against Red Sox, righty will take on Mets — NEW YORK — The Yankees will skip Javier Vazquez's spot in the rotation for the second time in two weeks, pushing the right-hander back to Friday, May 21, when he will start against the New York Mets.
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Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
Javier Vazquez's next start for the New York Yankees will be skipped
Javier Vazquez's next start for the New York Yankees will be skipped
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David Waldstein / New York Times:
Mets, Out of Patience, Send Perez to the Bullpen — MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The struggling pitcher Oliver Perez was taken out of the Mets' starting rotation and moved to the bullpen Saturday, Manager Jerry Manuel said, leaving the team in need of a starter for Wednesday's game against the Nationals in Washington.
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Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times:
Lee puts onus on himself — Derrek Lee played for a team that started 16-22 and won a World Series, so he's not about to write off the 15-22 Cubs in the middle of May. — “There was no magic moment,” Lee said of the Florida Marlins' turnaround in 2003. “We just kept believing in ourselves and kept playing hard.
Jon Paul Morosi / Fox Sports:
Tigers might try Guillen in infield — Carlos Guillen might spend some time in the infield during his upcoming injury rehabilitation assignment, Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski told FOXSports.com on Saturday. — If Guillen proves that he can play the infield …
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Tony Jackson / ESPN:
Ethier breaks bone in right pinkie — SAN DIEGO — The Dodgers have lost Andre Ethier at least through Sunday and possibly much longer after the hot-hitting right fielder, who leads the National League in all three Triple Crown categories, broke a small bone in the little finger …
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True Blue LA
Tony Fabrizio / tboblogs.com:
Blalock in, Burrell out — By TONY FABRIZIO — ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays today have designated DH Pat Burrell for assignment and promoted two-time All-Star Hank Blalock from Triple-A Durham. — Burrell, a high-profile free agent signing before last season, was batting .202 with two home runs …
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Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Yankees set rotation for the week — The Yankees have announced their rotation for the next week, with Javier Vazquez once again having his turn skipped, this time leaving the Yankees top four pitchers to face the Red Sox and Rays. Vazquez will make his next start in the series opener against the Mets.
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Jesse Spector / NY Daily News:
Taking a swing for the maligned RBI — As baseball's world of statistical analysis has taken great leaps forward over the last several years, one of the categories that has been stomped into the ground the most has been one that used to be among the most cherished - the run batted in.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Padres doing big things in that pitcher's ballpark — Run prevention. It's a philosophy that's working very well these days . . . in San Diego. — When he took the job as Padres general manager over the winter, knowing how expansive Petco Park was, Jed Hoyer made it a point …
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Dave Sheinin / Washington Post:
Bryce Harper, potential No. 1 pick in the MLB draft, faces questions about his attitude, not his ability — HENDERSON, NEV. — You're a scout, and all you know is what you see: Face caked in eye-black and hands bare, the batter strides to home plate and carefully lays his bat down in the dirt, perpendicular to the pitcher.
Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER:
Taveras DFA'd, Morse activated — DENVER — The Nationals designated outfielder Willy Taveras for assignment following tonight's 4-3 loss to the Rockies and announced outfielder Mike Morse will be activated off the 15-day disabled list tomorrow. — Taveras' time had been numbered for a while.
TSN.ca:
RALLY IN NINTH LEADS INDIANS OVER ORIOLES — The Sports Network — Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Austin Kearns belted a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning, and the Cleveland Indians rallied with eight runs in the ninth to topple the Baltimore Orioles, 8-2, in the second of three games at Camden Yards.
TSN.ca:
JOHNSON, DREW HELP ARIZONA TO OUTBURST AGAINST BRAVES — The Sports Network — Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Rodrigo Lopez threw eight strong innings and Kelly Johnson burned his former team with a homer and two RBI in Arizona's 11-1 win over Atlanta, as the Diamondbacks snapped their seven-game skid.
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals' bats stopped by Jimenez in Game 1 — Hernandez throws six innings; Bruney tagged for three runs — DENVER — On April 22, Nationals right-hander Livan Hernandez and Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez found themselves in a pitchers' duel, with Jimenez winning the battle at Nationals Park.