Ballbug: Strasburg will return to Nats for Tuesday's start (Associated Press)

MLB.com:

Lucchino ‘amped’ for Yankees series — Red Sox president dismisses Epstein rumors — BOSTON — Red Sox president Larry Lucchino feels the three-game series his club and the Yankees start on Tuesday still carries its regular cachet, despite the likelihood both teams make the playoffs.

Discussion: Boston Globe, Pinstripe Alley, HardballTalk, WasWatching.com, Call to the Pen and The Soxaholix

Game 134: Yankees at Red Sox — The rivalry renews tonight and here are the lineups: — RED SOX (82-51) — Ellsbury CF — Scutaro SS — Gonzalez 1B — Pedroia 2B — Ortiz DH — Lowrie 3B — Crawford LF — Saltalamacchia C — McDonald RF — Pitching: RHP John Lackey (12-9, 5.98)

Discussion: Pinstripe Alley and Over the Monster

Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
A-Rod sent home for MRI; Jeter (knee) out, too

Discussion: Boston Globe, Yahoo! Sports and ESPN

Doug Padilla / ESPN:

Ozzie may walk if no extension by Opening Day — CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said Tuesday that he is prepared to walk on the final year of his contract in 2012 if the team doesn't have a extension in place for him before Opening Day in April.

Discussion: MLB Rumors, HardballTalk and Associated Press

Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:

Ozzie Guillen sounds off on season, Ken Williams, Marlins — CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 12: Ozzie Guillen #13 manager of the Chicago White Sox (L), Rick Hahn White Sox assistant general manager (C), and Kenny Williams general manager talk before the game against the Kansas City Royals on August 12 …

Discussion: MLB Daily Dish, Baseball Nation, MLB Rumors and HardballTalk

Associated Press:
Buehrle makes quick work of Twins for White Sox

Discussion: Associated Press and Twinkie Town

Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Beckham encouraged by Sunday's at-bats

Discussion: Yahoo! Sports and South Side Sox

Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Berkman on trade: ‘That ship has sailed’ — MILWAUKEE — Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman has informed general manager John Mozeliak that he would not consider returning to the club as a free agent this winter if he is traded this week to the Texas Rangers.

Discussion: ESPN

Hamstring strain to shelve Cruz three weeks — Cuban prospect Martin likely to be replacement for outfielder — ARLINGTON — Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz will be sidelined for at least three weeks with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring. General manager Jon Daniels said the Rangers …

Discussion: Yahoo! Sports, MLB Daily Dish, Lone Star Ball, Call to the Pen and ESPN

Fox Sports:
The Climb To The End For MLB Has Begun!

Discussion: Baseball Prospectus

Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:

Will C.J. Wilson Get $100 Million? — Two years ago, Rangers lefty C.J. Wilson struck me as a quality reliever, but certainly not someone who could eventually score a $100MM contract. Now, with free agency just months away, I'm wondering if that could be his ceiling on the open market.

Discussion: Twinkie Town

What will C.J. be worth? — Last winter, the free agent pitcher headlines were dominated by the courting of Cliff Lee. Everyone seemed to be following his contract negotiations with the Phillies, Rangers and Yankees. Sure there were other semi-big players on the market, but he was the one to sign.

Associated Press:

Strasburg will return to Nats for Tuesday's start — ATLANTA — Washington manager Davey Johnson on Tuesday confirmed plans for Stephen Strasburg to make his first 2011 start for the Nationals on Sept. 6. — Strasburg will start for Double-A Harrisburg on Thursday.

Discussion: Yahoo! Sports

Bob Nightengale / USA Today:

Orioles' MacPhail could start GM exodus with resignation — BALTIMORE - Andy MacPhail, president of baseball operations, has reached a decision on his future in the Baltimore Orioles organization, but plans to wait until season's end before announcing his intentions.

Discussion: MLB Rumors and HardballTalk

Canadian Press:

Blue Jays sign pitching prospect Roberto Osuna — When Toronto Blue Jays scouts first saw Roberto Osuna pitch, they new the team had to have him. — The club got their man Tuesday, signing the 16-year-old Mexican right-hander and six other international prospects to contracts.

Discussion: Bluebird Banter

Technology — namely the iPad — is changing the way the game is played … Once upon a time, it was all so simple. Pitchers pitched. Hitters hit. If the stars lined up, somebody with a glove caught what they hit. And that's how baseball games were decided. — Boy, how 1963 was that, huh?

Discussion: HardballTalk and Baseball Nation

Richard Durrett / ESPN:

Rangers' Wilson ‘recharged’ by cooling chamber — ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson stepped into a chamber at Millennium Ice in Plano on Tuesday to experience whole body cryotherapy and said a few things ran through his mind as the temperature dropped.