Zimmerman begins recovery from surgery  —  Nationals expect star third baseman to return by mid-June  —  PHILADELPHIA — The tear in the stomach muscle of Ryan Zimmerman, repaired Tuesday by Dr. Bill Meyers, was less extensive than expected, leaving the Nationals fully expecting their star third baseman back by mid-June.

Dodgers lack funds to meet payroll  —  Sources say the team can meet the first of two payrolls in May, but not the second, which would give Major League Baseball the option to seize the Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt.  —  The Dodgers currently do not have enough cash to meet payroll through this month …

Francisco Liriano throws no-hitter for Twins  —  Francisco Liriano pitched the major leagues' first no-hitter of the season, throwing his first career complete game in the Minnesota Twins' 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.  —  Liriano (2-4) walked six and struck out two …

Source: Giants have discussed trading for Reyes  —  With limited internal options available, the Giants are considering addressing their problems at shortstop via trade, and Jose Reyes of the Mets has been discussed as a possible solution, a major-league source told CSNBayArea.com on Tuesday.

In which I (sort of) defend Jeter  —  Rob Neyer is even more down on Derek Jeter than I am:  —  Just to be clear about this ... the issue isn't *where* Captain Groundout bats in the lineup, but that he's in the lineup at all.  —  No one is going to accuse me of kidding myself …

Cubs top Dodgers, Ethier extends hit streak to 29  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A sudden lack of control by Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton (FSY) gave Geovany Soto (FSY) and the Chicago Cubs a perfect opportunity to make Ryan Dempster's (FSY) 34th birthday a pleasant one for all concerned.

Study: Cloudy skies help hitters  —  WASHINGTON — A sunny, summer day is great for baseball, if you're a pitcher.  For hitters, a little cloud cover helps.  —  It turns out that batting averages go up when the sun ducks behind a cloud, according to a new study that looked at thousands …

Roberts out of lineup after root canal  —  KANSAS CITY — Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts underwent a root canal on Tuesday, keeping him out of the lineup for the series opener in Kansas City.  —  “Hopefully, I'll be playing [Wednesday],” Roberts said.  —  Roberts was in some discomfort on Sunday, but played through it.

Gonzalez hits 1st Fenway HR  —  For the past five years, Adrian Gonzalez played his home games in San Diego's cavernous Petco Park, where home runs tend to be as rare as gemstones.  Still, the first baseman averaged 32 homers per season, leaving him confident in his power.

Cleveland's Winning Ways Change Prospect Plans  —  There is little argument that the Indians have been the biggest surprise on a team level this year.  In many ways, whether one thinks this is real doesn't matter, as having the best record in baseball in early May already changes the team's 2011 outlook significantly.

Tigers top pitchers fail in 7th straight loss, 5-3 to Yankees  —  DETROIT — When a team is in a slump, strange things start to happen.  —  On Monday night, the Detroit Tigers lost because their ace felt too good.  —  Justin Verlander, hitting 100 mph, allowed three runs in the first two innings …

Rangers sign Leonys Martin  —  SEATTLE — The Texas Rangers officially signed outfielder Leonys Martin, a Cuban defector, Wednesday.  He will get a five-year major league contract worth $15.5 million that includes a $5 million signing bonus.  —  It's the second largest contract given to a Cuban defector.

Being a famous athlete doesn't make you an expert  —  Luke Scott is talking in the back corner of the visitors clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium, which means the company that is paying him $6.4 million this year is nervous.  Very nervous.  —  You can never be sure what Scott will say, only that he'll answer your questions.

Braves get journeyman outfielder from O's  —  The Braves acquired veteran minor-league outfielder Jeff Fiorentino from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for an undisclosed amount of cash.  He'll go to Double-A Mississippi initially and be ready if needed at Triple-A Gwinnett.