Top News:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Updates on Hill, Matsuzaka — Lefthanded reliever Rich Hill, who left yesterday's game clutching his arm, has a serious injury according to a major league source and is likely to require season-ending surgery. — Hill and the Red Sox will seek a second opinion, but the MRI taken yesterday indicated …
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ESPN and Baseball Nation
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Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Report: Daisuke Matsuzaka decides on Tommy John surgery — To: — Invalid email address — Add a personal message: Your e-mail: — Invalid email address — Sending your article — Your article has been sent. — Here's what Red Sox Terry Francona said earlier today when asked about Daisuke Matsuzaka:
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, The House That Dewey Built, joy of sox, The Mighty Quinn Media Machine and MLB.com
External / ESPN:
Source: Dice-K wants Tommy John surgery — BOSTON — Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka has elected to have Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow and intends to inform the team of his decision when he meets with club officials Thursday, according to a baseball source.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Full Count, River Avenue Blues and MLB Rumors
NY Daily News:
A-Rod's cousin and named steroid mule, Yuri Sucart, spotted at Yankees hotel; MLB says it's watching — BY MARK FEINSAND IN OAKLAND AND CHRISTIAN RED IN NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is once again investigating Alex Rodriguez's relationship with the cousin he admitted two years ago was his steroid mule.
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Bronx Baseball Daily, USA Today, HardballTalk, Getting Blanked and WasWatching.com
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Amy K. Nelson / ESPN:
MLB resolves Yuri Sucart issue — The matter regarding Alex Rodriguez's cousin being at the New York Yankees' team hotel has been resolved, Major League Baseball said Thursday. — “Our position is, we told the Yankees, they agreed, that [Yuri Sucart] should not be allowed in any non-public areas …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online and Baseball Nation
Art Stapleton / NorthJersey.com:
Manger Terry Collins blows up at team after 9-3 loss to Pirates — NEW YORK - The same old Mets finally brought out the old Terry Collins. — Before the seventh inning transpired Wednesday night, Citi Field seemed poised for an eventual celebration for the home team …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and HardballTalk
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Marc Carig / New Jersey Online:
Yankees' Phil Hughes takes the next step in his return — OAKLAND, Calif. — Phil Hughes prepared as if he were pitching in an actual game. He went through his typical pregame routine, rested for a few minutes as he would before a real start, then took the pitcher's mound.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily and HardballTalk
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Tom Singer / MLB.com:
Bautista leads, but Yanks rack up All-Star votes
Bautista leads, but Yanks rack up All-Star votes
Discussion:
Bless You Boys, Bronx Baseball Daily, DRaysBay, Blog Red Machine, FanGraphs Baseball, NESN.com, Deadspin, Plain Dealer and River Avenue Blues
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Padres plan to take advantage of extra picks — With five of the first 58 selections, Draft a big day for franchise — SAN DIEGO — It's one thing to have the benefit of additional Draft picks to use in the First-Year Player Draft, but it's something else to have the luxury of extra picks in what is considered a very deep Draft.
Discussion:
Talking Chop
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Rangers won't fret over ‘signability’ this Draft
Rangers won't fret over ‘signability’ this Draft
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Crasnick: Baldelli aiding Tampa Bay draft effort — Former 2000 first-round draft pick now scouting amateur players for Rays — Rocco Baldelli's new career as a troubleshooting scout for the Tampa Bay Rays got off to a shaky start this spring when he suffered a case of food poisoning that necessitated a trip to the emergency room.
Amy K. Nelson / MLB:
MLB will not let Joyce umpire Galarraga's games — NEW YORK — A day before the anniversary of the game in which umpire Jim Joyce botched a call at first base that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game, Major League Baseball confirmed that Joyce is not allowed to umpire any series …
Discussion:
USA Today, HardballTalk and Pinstripe Alley
Rick Morrissey / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs have lots of fresh faces, but product remains stale — Men in Cubs uniforms are walking on the grass at Wrigley Field before Wednesday's game. I have no earthly idea who some of them are. They could be ballplayers, coaches, self-medicated fans who have wandered onto the diamond …
R.B. Fallstrom / Associated Press:
Schierholtz, Giants beat Cards 7-5 in 11 innings — ST. LOUIS—Nate Schierholtz hit a tying single with two outs in the ninth inning, then got the go-ahead hit in the 11th inning as the San Francisco Giants shook off a poor outing by Tim Lincecum to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 on Wednesday night.
Discussion:
TSN.ca, McCovey Chronicles and Yahoo! Sports
Steven Miller / MLB.com:
Zimmerman plays three innings in Florida — WASHINGTON — Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman returned to action Wednesday, playing three innings in an extended Spring Training game in Viera, Fla. — Zimmerman, on the disabled list with an abdominal strain, planned on playing only three innings in the contest …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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Spencer Fordin / MLB.com:
World Baseball Classic expands to 28 teams — The field for the world's largest international baseball tournament is getting even bigger. — World Baseball Classic Inc. announced Wednesday the introduction of a play-in round to the 2013 installation of the World Baseball Classic …
Discussion:
Basement Dwellers
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Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
Bartolo Colon's treatments inject controversy into his comeback — The cynics, doubters and haters are speaking with one voice these days about Bartolo Colon. It's a chorus: no man shaped like a watermelon should be throwing 96-mph on the black. — After all, just look at Colon …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
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