MLB RUMORS AND NEWS

• White Sox exercise caution, scratch Sale for Wednesday start

  CSN Chicago "Chris Sale knew it was time to speak up when he couldn’t throw a side session in between starts or play long toss. As much as he wants to pitch in the series finale against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, Sale knows he would have run the risk of injury had he taken the mound. The White Sox..." May 22

• Teixeira, Youkilis inching closer to returns for Yanks

  New York Post "Joe Girardi said he doesn’t know when he will get Mark Teixeira or Kevin Youkilis back from the disabled list, but the Yankees manager reported Tuesday the first baseman and corner infielder are making progress. “He had four more [at-bats],’’ Girardi said of Teixeira’s participation in a..." May 22

• 10m
  Adam McCalvy @AdamMcCalvy

  Kyle Lohse has some elbow irritation and will miss a start. Mike Fiers on Saturday vs. Pirates. Details coming to the site. #Brewers

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• Montreal street re-named to honor Gary Carter

  Montreal Gazette "The City of Montreal honoured former Expos catcher Gary Carter on May 21, renaming a street in honour of the Hall of Famer who died of brain cancer in February 2012 at age 57. Faillon St. W., located near Uniprix stadium, which used to be known as Jarry Park when the Expos played there, will..." May 22

• 13h
  Dylan Hernandez @dylanohernandez

  #Dodgers have discussed calling up Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson, according to Don Mattingly.

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• Orioles to call up Kevin Gausman to make start Thursday

  Baltimore Sun "Just last week, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said pitching prospect Kevin Gausman was a starting rotation option for the future, but not the immediate present. But the 22-year-old right-hander will join the Orioles this week and is expected to make his major league debut..." May 22

• Could Ellsbury be on Cubs radar?

  Chicago Tribune "Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is off to a poor start but remains one of the more interesting potential free agents. Cubs President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer know Ellsbury well from their days in Boston and are aware of what he brings to the clubhouse. If Ellsbury can..." May 22

• Twins' 3B Trevor Plouffe suffers head injury

  St. Paul Pioneer Press "The Twins lost another game they should have won Tuesday night. Now they must hope they didn't lose their starting third baseman in the process. A scary moment came in the top of the 10th inning of Minnesota's 5-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves, when Trevor Plouffe was injured trying to break up..." May 22

• Rafael Betancourt faces possible DL stint after injuring right groin

  Denver Post "Rafael Betancourt doesn’t believe his right groin injury is serious. There’s no pain, just weakness. But the reality is that it has been bothering him for a month, so a stint on the disabled list remains a distinct possibility. He will undergo an MRI on Wednesday. He talked with assistant general..." May 22

• Texas Rangers will skip Nick Tepesch in rotation

  Dallas Morning News "On Monday, the Rangers decided to go without an emergency starter on their major league roster. The ability to go without one lasted exactly one day. General manager Jon Daniels announced Tuesday that RHP Nick Tepesch will be skipped in the rotation Wednesday against Oakland. If the Rangers..." May 22

• Mike Trout hits for the cycle in Angels' 12-0 win over Seattle

  Los Angeles Times "The Angels broke out the disco ball in the clubhouse, and why not? That was quite a party. Mike Trout, the guest of honor, became the youngest player in American League history to hit for the cycle. Josh Hamilton, the birthday boy, enjoyed two rounds of serenades from the crowd. The Angels..." May 22

• Sandoval's shot lifts Giants over Nats in 10th

  San Francisco Chronicle "Pablo Sandoval felt like hell, and not because his teammates gave him the same kidney shots he administers when one of them ends a game with a hit. Sandoval was so sick, he took intravenous fluids before Tuesday night's big matchup between Matt Cain and Stephen Strasburg. It's funny how much..." May 22

• Straily, A’s beat Rangers 1-0, Cespedes homer decides it

  San Francisco Chronicle "If there was a game the A’s were meant to lose in their three-game series against the Rangers, it was Tuesday’s. Yu Darvish vs. Dan Straily was all you had to know to pick a favorite. Darvish was 7-1 with a 2.97 ERA and a majors-leading 86 strikeouts, and Straily had a 7.27 ERA and a spot in..." May 22

• Scherzer retires 22 straight in Tigers 5-1 victory over Indians

  Detroit News "Miguel Cabrera, one question, please. Does it feel better to hit one home run in a game you win than three in a game you lose? "Oh yeah," he said, with that big, broad smile of his. "That was awesome." Cabrera didn't need to spell out the most awesome aspect of the Tigers' 5-1 victory on..." May 22

• Snider's grand slam lifts Pirates to 5-4 victory over Cubs

  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Travis Snider already had put his helmet back in the dugout when he felt a tug from behind. The crowd was beckoning him back on the field, and teammate Neil Walker was pushing him onto the dugout steps for his first career curtain call. "I actually grabbed the wrong helmet because I was kind..." May 22

• Rays hang on to beat Blue Jays 4-3

  Tampa Bay Times "With all Fernando Rodney did Tuesday, he figured he might as well aim high. So after getting the final five outs in another tougher-than-it-needed-to-be 4-3 win over the Blue Jays, he took full aim at the top of the Rogers Centre with his imaginary celebratory arrow. "Right through the..." May 22

• Freeman wins it for Braves in 10th, 5-4 over Twins

  Atlanta Journal-Constitution "If Evan Gattis keeps this up, the Braves might just want to dip the big rookie’s spikes in bronze and be done with it. With the Braves down to their final out in the ninth inning, Gattis hit another dramatic, pinch-hit homer Tuesday night, a game-tying solo shot against the Twins to force extra..." May 22

• Quintana, Keppinger lift White Sox 3-1 over Boston

  CSN Chicago "The way they played two weeks ago, when everything that could go wrong did, the White Sox would have found a way to lose Tuesday. But the White Sox continued a trend of solid all-around play even when it appeared forces had conspired against them yet again. On a night when they learned Chris..." May 22

• Brewers spoil Greinke's return to Miller Park, beat Dodgers 5-2

  Fox Sports Wisconsin "Carlos Gomez knew Zack Greinke was smiling when he struck him out with two runners on in the first inning. He also knew exactly what his former teammate was going to throw him when he got up for his third at-bat of the day in the fifth inning. Gomez got exactly what he was looking for and laced..." May 22

• Reds blank Mets, 4-0, in New York

  Cincinnati Enquirer "Mike Leake, at least nominally, is the Reds' fifth starter. When your fifth starter is rolling, it's a good sign for the club overall. And Leake is rolling. Leake went seven shutout innings to push his scoreless streak to 13 2/3 innings as the Reds beat the New York Mets, 4-0, before a crowd..." May 22

• Offense erupts as Phillies pound Marlins, 7-3

  Philly.com "Among the items littered on the desk in the visiting manager's office at Marlins Park: three packages of Tylenol and a can of Sierra Mist. The cold beverage was open, a refreshing treat for a pleasant night at the ballpark. The pain medication, however, was unopened. Apparently it wasn't a..." May 22

• McLouth's homer gives Johnson, O's 3-2 win over Yanks

  CSN Baltimore "For the last week, Jim Johnson’s locker has been the most popular stopping point in the Orioles clubhouse. Three times he stood there and explained what went wrong. Never made any excuses, never any whining. On Tuesday, his space was a happier place. After blowing three straight saves,..." May 22

• Wainwright, Descalso lead Cards over Padres 10-2

  St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Adam Wainwright, Daniel Descalso and Mike Matheny all recorded firsts at Petco Park on Tuesday night. The first had never won a game here as a pitcher. The second never had hit a grand slam. And the third had been 0-4 here as a manager. All those droughts were quenched in a 10-2 Cardinals..." May 22

• Rosario delivers winning hit as Rockies defeat Diamondbacks 5-4

  Denver Post "Walt Weiss was hired Nov. 8. He officially became the Rockies' manager Tuesday night. As he walked to the mound to remove Jhoulys Chacin, Weiss was booed. Not lustily, or with vigor, but there was enough noise to provide a clear signal of the fans' agitation over sticking with Chacin through..." May 22

• Royals rally for 7-3 win over Astros, get back to .500

  Kansas City Star "Well, hey, the Royals sure needed this, didn’t they? “This” being defined as the Houston Astros playing to form when the Royals desperately needed them to do do. The Royals rallied Tuesday for a 7-3 victory at Minute Maid Park by scoring all seven runs against the Astros’ bullpen and with the..." May 22

• 16h
  Bill Shaikin @BillShaikin

  Scioscia said it is possible Jered Weaver could be activated after his extended spring appearance tomorrow. #Angels

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• Barry Bonds: Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera 'the best' ... but not better than me

  Detroit Free Press "It’s probably foolish, if not absurd, to draw comparisons to Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera, after all, is the greatest player in the game of baseball. The last time we’ve seen greatness like this is from one of the greatest three players to ever step on a baseball..." May 21

• John Danks will make season debut Friday in Chicago

  CBSSports.com "White Sox lefthander John Danks is scheduled to make his comeback Friday with a start in Chicago against the Marlins, sources say. Danks' season debut comes 10 months after shoulder surgery. He's made four starts while rehabbing in the minors, one at Double-A Birmingham and three at Triple-A..." May 21

• Yankees partnering with Manchester City on new MLS team

  New York Daily News "In the ultimate odd-couple alliance, Hal Steinbrenner has joined forces with controversial multi-billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan to bring an expansion MLS team to New York. MLS commissioner Don Garber announced on Tuesday that the Yankees and Sheikh Mansour's Manchester City..." May 21

• Giants' Ryan Vogelsong, Santaigo Casilla to DL

  CSN Bay Area "The Giants made a pair of roster moves to address two ailing members of their pitching staff. As expected, they placed Ryan Vogelsong on the disabled list as the right-hander prepared for surgery to repair a fractured pinky finger on his pitching hand. The club also placed right-hander Santiago..." May 21

• Ryan Mattheus breaks throwing hand punching a locker, adds to bullpen disarray

  Washington Post "The disarray in the Nationals’ bullpen reached a bizarre and self-inflicted new height Monday night. After the Nationals’ 8-0 loss to the Giants, Manager Davey Johnson revealed that set-up man Ryan Mattheus had broken his right hand Sunday when he punched his locker after a dreadful performance,..." May 21

• Could looming free agency be having a negative effect on Jacoby Ellsbury?

  Boston Herald "All along, the assumption was that the anticipation of free agency after this season would inspire Jacoby Ellsbury to once again reach MVP-caliber heights for the Red Sox. But take it from two of Ellsbury’s teammates: It isn’t so simple. A year ago, Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli were in..." May 21

• Carlos Ruiz to DL, Howard day-to-day

  Philly.com "Carlos Ruiz suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on Sunday. He will be placed on the DL on Tuesday, to make room on the roster for Tyler Cloyd. Cloyd has to be activated to make his second start of the season. Ruiz is expected to be out for 3-4 weeks, a big blow to an offense that relied heavily..." May 21

• Rangers activate A.J. Pierzynski

  ESPN.com "The Texas Rangers activated catcher A.J. Pierzynski from the 15-day disabled list following Monday's loss to the Oakland Athletics. Pierzynski declared himself ready to go for Tuesday's game against Oakland after the second contest of his rehab stint with Double-A Frisco. Pierzynski,..." May 21

• Shane Victorino aching again

  Boston Herald "Playing last night in Bill Murray’s hometown, Shane Victorino starred in his own version of “Groundhog Day.” Victorino left the Red Sox’ 6-4 loss to the White Sox in the sixth inning after experiencing tightness in his left hamstring. It marked the fifth time this season that Victorino exited a..." May 21

• Rays' Escobar irks Maddon with showboating after home run

  Tampa Bay Times "SS Yunel Escobar responded to constant booing in his return to Rogers Centre by hitting a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning that gave the Rays a late shot before they lost 7-5. But now Escobar, who played 21/2 seasons in Toronto, will have to answer to manager Joe Maddon because..." May 21

• 15h
  Dan Hayes @DanHayesCSN

  Chris Sale scratched from tomorrow's start with mild tendonitis in left posterior shoulder. Santiago to start. #WhiteSox

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• Mets may Choo fat next year

  New York Post "It was intended as a joke. “Outfield? What outfield?” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson quipped at the GM meetings in November, referring to the unproven outfielders on the team’s roster. However, Alderson’s joke morphed into reality — the Mets’ outfield has been a revolving door. Perhaps..." May 21

• 19h
  Anthony Andro @aandro

  Nick Tepesch has a blister on right middle finger. Won't make Wednesday start. Ross Wolf getting call if no change in schedule.

  Twitter
• Clayton Kershaw completely dominates Brewers

  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Clayton Kershaw completely shut down the Milwaukee Brewers for the second time this season Monday night. That was predictable. Yovani Gallardo threw a whole lot of pitches for six innings. Again, totally expected. Essentially, so was the 3-1 victory by the Los Angeles Dodgers to begin..." May 21

• Steve Cishek is not the only Marlins closer

  Palm Beach Post "Is Steve Cishek out of the closer’s job? With Miami leading 2-1 in the eighth inning tonight, manager Mike Redmond had Chad Qualls warming up to pitch the ninth inning. After the game, Redmond was asked: Who’s your closer? “We’re going to use everybody,” he replied. “We’re going to use..." May 21

• Ice-cold Davis flops again as Mets fall to Reds

  New York Post "The more desperate the Mets get for Ike Davis to break out of his funk, the deeper he sinks. And last night — after grounding out to leave the bases loaded in the first, striking out twice after that, and costing the Mets a run with an obstruction call — the question isn’t how much lower he can..." May 21

• 1d
  Todd Zolecki @ToddZolecki

  Howard has change in meniscus and inflammation in knee. Had shot yesterday. Day to day for now.

  Twitter
• R.A. Dickey leads Blue Jays to victory over Rays

  Toronto Star "R.A. Dickey has said the stat he cares most about is quality starts — the recognition given to a starter who pitches at least six innings while allowing no more than three runs. He says he’s not aiming for another sparkling Cy Young season — he just wants to give the Blue Jays a chance to win..." May 20

• 1d
  Ryan Lawrence @ryanlawrence21

  Ruiz has grade two strain, probably out 3-4 weeks.

  Twitter
• Only the players can save Don Mattingly's job

  ESPN Los Angeles "For a moment, let’s forget about how Don Mattingly’s players feel about him and ponder how he feels about them. When the Dodgers left San Francisco early this month, having been swept in a bitter, hard fought series, Mattingly told reporters he felt better about his team walking out than he..." May 20

• Braves reliever O’Flaherty to see Dr. Andrews Monday

  Atlanta Journal-Constitution "After a day to let it sink in, Braves reliever Eric O’Flaherty seemed a little more resigned to the fact that he’s likely headed for season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow. An MRI revealed a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and he has an appointment to see noted orthopedic surgeon Dr...." May 20

• 1d
  Mark Teixeira @teixeiramark25

  Felt good to get my first AB's since March. 1-2 with a double and a walk, I'll take it. #Yankees in first place, I'll take that too!

  Twitter
• John Danks could be cleared for season debut Friday

  Hardball Talk "John Danks made his fourth minor-league rehab start over the weekend and Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports that the White Sox left-hander could come off the disabled list to make his season debut Friday. It’s worth noting, however, that Danks hasn’t actually pitched all that well in the minors...." May 20

• Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Howard to have MRIs on Monday

  CSN Philly "As his teammates packed up their gear and got ready to head to the airport for the eight-game trip that begins in Miami on Monday night, Carlos Ruiz limped across the clubhouse in his workout gear. Instead of heading to Miami on Monday, Ruiz will stay in Philadelphia to have an MRI on his..." May 20

Boys in the Hall - Paul Konerko

SUBWAY® is celebrating “The Boys in the Hall” with a look at the candidacy of one of the most intriguing cases among active players. Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko has built a reputation as one of the best power-hitting.... By James Bisson - Read More