A Break for the Bullpen as Mets' Soler Steadies Himself  —  LOS ANGELES, June 5 — The first proof of Alay Soler's command Monday night arrived early.  Soler got Rafael Furcal, the Dodgers' leadoff hitter, to ground out to shortstop, a simple 6-3 in the scorebook but a commendable feat …

Royals tab Hochevar as No. 1 pick  —  Right-hander has ability to arrive in Majors quickly  —  The Kansas City Royals surprised no one by selecting a pitcher with the franchise's first ever No. 1 pick of the draft Tuesday.  But the Royals threw a curve by selecting not Andrew Miller …

Draft Blog: Day One  —  Throughout the first day of the draft, Baseball America's reporters will keep you updated with an ongoing draft day blog.  —  Last Second Top 10 Projection  —  12:57 p.m.: Our last-second projection for the Top 10 . . .  1. KC—Luke Hochevar  —  2. Col—Greg Reynolds

Nationals draft pair of preps  —  Team uses first-round picks on Marrero, Willems  —  WASHINGTON — There's a new philosophy in the Nationals organization when it comes to drafting players.  Unlike the past four years, in which they worked with a limited budget, the Nationals were told …

Padres-Brewers Preview  —  The San Diego Padres will welcome back ace Jake Peavy on Tuesday.  Given how they fared against him last month, the Milwaukee Brewers may not feel so hospitable.  —  After missing a start with tendinitis in his shoulder, Peavy and the Padres will face the Brewers …

Clemens set for Class A start before return to Astros  —  LEXINGTON, Ky. — Roger Clemens knows better than to look past the Lake County Captains.  —  Clemens takes the first step in his return to the Houston Astros when he pitches Tuesday night for the Class A Lexington Legends …

It's a Broadway stage for Pauley in Act 2  —  NEW YORK — Until Thursday night in Toronto, David Pauley had never pitched above Double A. Until Sunday night, he had never set foot in New York City.  In fact, until he was dealt to the Red Sox by San Diego in December 2004 …

Beckett collapses — Yankees apply pressure  —  NEW YORK - The Red Sox parted with two of their top minor league prospects to land Josh Beckett from the Florida Marlins last November because the team believed it was receiving a big-game pitcher in return who would not wilt under pressure.

Dodgers pick Mattingly's son No. 31  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Preston Mattingly of Evansville Central High School, the son of former New York Yankees star Don Mattingly, was the 31st player taken Tuesday in the major league baseball draft.  —  The 6-foot-3 shortstop was the first player from Indiana selected …

The Extra Innings Are No Bonus for the Bullpen  —  LOS ANGELES, June 5 — In this enchanted season, in which the Mets sit atop their division and seem to win every one-run game, they share a distinction with the worst team in baseball.  —  Though the Mets have 20 more victories than the Kansas City Royals …

Brewers tab high school pitcher at No.1  —  Right-hander Jeffress clocked in triple-digits on radar  —  MILWAUKEE — Apparently undaunted by the organization's past struggles drafting high school pitchers in the first round, the Brewers took Jeremy Jeffress with the 16th overall pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

Pujols likely out 4-6 weeks  —  Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols says he hopes for an aggressive recovery from a strained right oblique muscle that landed him on the disabled list for the first time in his six-year major-league career, but cautioned that the nature of the injury could inhibit his return for up to six weeks.