Yanks shut down Marte, Feliciano for now  —  BALTIMORE — Yankees left-handers Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte have each suffered setbacks in their rehabilitation in the Gulf Coast League and are unlikely to rejoin the big league club this year.  —  Manager Joe Girardi said that both pitchers …

Plenty of room for debate on MVP discussion, plus my picks … Blue Jays star Jose Bautista deserves strong consideration for the American League MVP award, and if someone thinks he's the MVP because he's been the best player in the league, that's understandable.

Jays' manager to skip O's series with pneumonia  —  TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays manager John Farrell continues to be weakened by pneumonia and will not accompany his team for a three-game series in Baltimore that begins Tuesday.  —  Farrell left in the bottom of the ninth inning of Thursday's 9-6 loss …

Storm Over, Dickey Pitches Mets Past Marlins 2-1  —  NEW YORK (AP) — R.A. Dickey pitched seven spotless innings and the New York Mets, back on the field following a two-day break because of Hurricane Irene, beat the Florida Marlins 2-1 in the opener of a doubleheader Monday.

Francona deserves more credit  —  BOSTON — It's not just that Terry Francona has never been voted the American League's Manager of the Year.  In his first seven seasons as Red Sox manager, he has not received so much as a single first-place vote.  —  This despite two World Series titles …

Berkman among Rangers' options if Cruz replacement needed  —  St. Louis' Lance Berkman is the top alternative should the Texas Rangers decide they need an outfielder to fill in for the injured Nelson Cruz.  —  Cruz came out of Sunday's win against the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning because of a strained left hamstring.

Moyer to Rehab in Clearwater  —  Jamie Moyer is giving baseball one more shot.  —  He is going to be continuing his rehab from Tommy John surgery at the Phillies' Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla. The Phillies have not signed Moyer to a contract, so he remains a free agent …

Reds experiment with Alonso at third base  —  CINCINNATI — Reds rookie Yonder Alonso is proving the axiom that if you can hit in the Majors, they will keep trying to find a place for you in the lineup.  —  It took four rocky starts in left field for the Reds to make a determination that Alonso wasn't a fit there.

Are the Cardinals too homer happy?  —  TOWER GROVE  • On Sunday, the St. Louis Cardinals did what some believed to be unthinkable: They scored seven runs without the benefit of one ball leaving the ballpark.  —  “It does happen,” manager Tony La Russa said, drolly.

High school teammates shave heads for player with leukemia  —  A 16-year-old baseball player in Farmington, N.M felt anxious about what chemotherapy treatments would do to his hair, so he decided to take control and shave it all off.  —  Worried that Justin Solomon would feel …

Nelson Cruz expected to miss 3 weeks  —  Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz is expected to miss three weeks after an MRI on Monday revealed a Grade I strain of his left hamstring.  —  Cruz will receive a PRP injection from Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister to stimulate the healing process.

Dodgers' Andre Ethier clarifies comments  —  A day after saying the Dodgers have told him to ‘Grin and bear it’ through injury, Andre Ethier says: 'It's always been my choice to keep playing ... ' Don Mattingly then holds Ethier out of starting lineup in loss to Colorado.

Braun, Fielder fast becoming historic tandem  —  Dynamic duo has Brewers steaming toward October  —  MILWAUKEE — This is not a story about personality, though Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder each have it in abundance — Braun the businessman, and Fielder the fiery family man.

10 things I didn't know about managerial match-ups  —  This Saturday, an oddball bit of trivial baseball history will silently happen.  For the first time in the big leagues since July, 1984, two rival managers will face off against each other in the regular season for the 200th …

Showalter: Yankees complaints ‘a little disrespectful to Flanny, quite frankly’  —  Buck Showalter was asked in his pre-game media session about the New York Yankees' griping about the way the Orioles handled the Hurricane Irene postponements and the rescheduling, and the outspoken manager predictably didn't mince words.