Hedge funder Steve Cohen frontrunner to buy minority stake in Mets  —  Controversial hedge-fund titan Steve Cohen is very close to being a baseball owner, The Post has learned.  —  The billionaire money man is the frontrunner to buy a minority stake in the money-losing team and was set …

Reds take third straight as Bruce homers in win over Cubs  —  CHICAGO — Jay Bruce hit a three-run homer while Brandon Phillips made some key defensive plays at second base as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Friday for their third straight win.

Coffey deals with nosebleed on mound  —  PHILADELPHIA — It couldn't have been the rare air of the Nationals at .500, because that disappeared three games ago.  But suddenly Todd Coffey's nose began bleeding before he pitched to Ryan Howard in the fourth inning Thursday night, necessitating a delay for treatment.

Lower-back strain sends Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann to disabled list  —  ST. PETERSBURG — RHP Jeff Niemann is headed to the disabled list with a lower-back strain that will sideline him for an undetermined about of time.  —  “It's very frustrating,” he said.

Julio Teheran: One-Night Stand  —  Despite my pleas for sanity, I continue to receive a deluge of “When will Player X be in the big leagues?” questions.  Again, I certainly understand them, but I still don't know, and neither does anyone else.  A great example of how the calendar plays …

Six teams that could be in need of a trade for Mets' Reyes … The first Jose Reyes trade rumor was thrown out early — surely way too early to be seriously considered, as it came nearly three months before the trade deadline.  But it won't be the last.  —  No, this was very likely …

Prospect Hot Sheet: May 6  —  Team: high Class A Wilmington (Carolina)  —  Why he's here: 2-0, 2.57, 13 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 R, 1 BB, 18 SO  —  The Scoop: The Royals' first wave of prospects are starting to filter into the big leagues—Eric Hosmer's callup means the first baseman will join …

MLB, union consider plan to handle DUI incidents … NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball and its players' association are considering a formal plan for dealing with alcohol-related incidents in the next collective bargaining agreement.  —  Two people familiar with the talks confirmed them to The Associated Press on Friday.

Lewis Outstanding but Rangers Fall 3-1  —  SEATTLE (AP) — Colby Lewis' performance Thursday was nearly as good as C.J. Wilson a night earlier and set a little Texas Rangers history along the way.  —  Only this time the Rangers wasted the strong outing, capping a frustrating 2-5 road trip.

Bryant: Even at 80, Willie Mays' superstar legacy endures  —  Nearly 40 years after his final game, Willie Mays' superstar legacy has endured  —  The words reverberate, vibrating noisily like a quarter sitting atop a spinning washing machine, rattling and demanding acceptance from those who wince …

Will Derek Jeter ever return to being the Yankees' Captain Clutch?  —  DETROIT — They are undisputed franchise icons, cut from the same cloth, great players whose identities long ago became intertwined with their teams.  One is a member of the 3,000 hits club, the other stands just 47 hits short of admission.

Contractual Matters  —  Screen Test  —  Royals broadcaster Denny Matthews has seen more than his share of foul balls.  Now in his 43rd season, the Hall of Fame play-by-play man with a dry wit regularly employs a succinct description of a ball hit too hard for a fan to try to catch barehanded.

Too much for Twins to overcome?  —  At a time when it's tempting to play “Taps” for the 2011 Twins, a drum roll, please, for some of the comebacks in the franchise's recent history:  —  2006: 11 1/2 games back on June 7, the Twins pass three teams to win the AL Central, with first baseman Justin Morneau winning the league MVP award.