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 …

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.

Nats' Zimmerman takes first steps in recovery  —  PHILADELPHIA — Walk a mile in Jim Riggleman's shoes with a team 14th in runs scored in the National League, 15th in batting average and a star hitter out for six more weeks.  —  If it is any consolation to the Nats manager …

Yanks say Hughes will miss another 6-8 weeks  —  DETROIT — The Yankees will be without Phil Hughes for another six to eight weeks as team doctors continue to search for the cause of his mysterious loss of velocity.  —  General manager Brian Cashman on Wednesday revealed on a conference call that Hughes …

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.

Broxton shut down, to have MRI on elbow  —  Dodgers closer admits to pain after displaying decrease in velocity  —  LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Broxton admitted to the Dodgers on Wednesday that his right elbow hurts and he's been shut down for an MRI and possible other testing.

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 …

Hanson, Prado Lead Braves to 8-3 Win Over Brewers  —  ATLANTA (AP) — Tommy Hanson pitched three-hit ball over six innings, Martin Prado drove in three runs and the Atlanta Braves broke it open with a big sixth, defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3 in the opening game of a doubleheader Wednesday.

So ugly it's beautiful: Francisco Liriano no-hits the White Sox  —  I guess he'll be staying in the rotation for a while.  —  Making his first start since Ron Gardenhire spoke publicly about dumping him from the rotation in favor of Kevin Slowey if things didn't improve soon Francisco Liriano …

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.

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.

The Nationals offense has been bad, but it's going to get better  —  There are 133 games left in the year, which is good for the Nationals, because no team is this bad on offense for a full season.  They have to improve, at least somewhat, because the alternative would test the bounds of recent baseball history.

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 …

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.