It Could Be DH or DL for G.A.  —  TEMPE, Ariz. — The chances of Garret Anderson opening the season in left field seem remote, and the odds of him starting at designated hitter are dwindling.  —  The Angels were hoping Anderson, sidelined since March 7 because of strained tissue in his left foot …

Circumstantial Evidence  —  • Colin's NCAA Tournament Bracket  —  • Circumstantial Evidence- Vince Young was impressive at his personal workout yesterday.  Big deal, says Colin.  He controlled all the circumstances.  And Colin apologizes for inaccurate reporting — Young actually got a 15 on his Wonderlic test, not 16.

Prey time  —  Timlin relaxes away from camp by going on hunt  —  LA BELLE, Fla. — Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin is going to extraordinary lengths for good, fresh barbecue.  —  It's late in the afternoon and he's dressed in camouflage, sitting in a blind 12 1/2 feet above the fringe of the Everglades.

Ichiro collects three hits in Mariners' win  —  Outfielder also drives in a run in first game back since Classic  —  MARINERS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2  —  Diamondbacks at the plate: Arizona didn't do much against Mariners starter Felix Hernandez, but Eric Byrnes singled in a run in the fifth inning …

SECOND THOUGHTS  —  March 24, 2006 — JUPITER, Fla. - The Mets are not asking much from their second baseman.  Bat eighth, play well on defense, show the promise for growth.  —  Kazuo Matsui again failed to ascend to those mild requests.  Anderson Hernandez has.

Five Questions: Seattle Mariners  —  How painful were the Mariners to watch last year?  Miguel Olivo was replaced by Pat Borders and it actually constituted an improvement.  A full 80% of the starting rotation posted an ERA north of 5.00 while pitching in the cavernous Safeco Field.

Notes: Four lefties vying for 'pen job  —  Feliciano, Perez, Ring and Oliver seeking specialist role  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — As well as Brian Bannister has pitched this spring, his fate always has been in the hands of others, specifically, the left hands.

Soriano Struggles With Mental Adjustment to Left  —  VIERA, Fla., March 23 — He hasn't made an error.  He hasn't misread a fly ball.  He hasn't thrown to the wrong base.  And, in reality, he hasn't been tested.  But two days in, no one associated with the Washington Nationals expects …

Notes: Rusch 'comfortable' in start  —  Prior able to do about everything except throw a baseball  —  • Cubs' Lee doesn't miss a beat in return  —  • Rusch sharp as Cubs handle Mariners  —  MESA, Ariz. — Glendon Rusch had an outing more to his liking on Thursday.

Lastings impression  —  Mets foresee bright future  —  JUPITER, Fla. - Wednesday night, Lastings Milledge whacked the game-winning hit against the Dodgers, and yesterday he was penciled in to make the road trip south for a night game against the Marlins.  —  There is just over a week left …

Wright goes on defensive  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The job of improving his defense is so arduous, and David Wright takes it so seriously, that sometimes the work brings the Mets' young third baseman to his knees.  —  "During batting practice, I've got some drills I do with Sandy Alomar.

Remedies Abundant, but Wagner Bides Time  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., March 23 — Billy Wagner will try anything to heal the ailing middle finger on his pitching hand.  —  Well, almost anything.  —  "I'm sure if Saturday comes and it doesn't feel a lot better, they'll just cut it off and put a new one on me …

A-Rod homers in Yanks win  —  Proctor goes four scoreless innings; Matsui belts third homer  —  YANKEES 8, ASTROS 1  —  Yankees at the plate: Alex Rodriguez collected his first hit in 14 at-bats this spring, crushing a two-run home run against Carlos Hernandez in the fourth inning.

Know-hitters: Oddball stats from '05  —  Park home run figures among last year's statistical surprises  —  The World Baseball Classic is over, and all eyes now return to Spring Training and the upcoming 2006 regular season.  To help you regain your focus, here is a collection of interesting tidbits …