Grimsley asks for and gets release from D-Backs  —  PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday released pitcher Jason Grimsley, one day after his home was searched by federal agents as part of an investigation into steroid use by athletes.  —  General manager Josh Byrnes told …

Mets Are Bruised, and Martínez Is Battered  —  LOS ANGELES, June 6 — Not much went the Mets' way Tuesday night, the least of their problems being their 8-5 loss to the Dodgers.  —  José Reyes did not start because of a sprained right wrist.  Cliff Floyd sprained his ankle running …

Draft Chat: Jim Callis  —  Q: … A:  —  Jim Callis: Hi, everyone.  Let's see how many questions we can knock off in 90 minutes, before I have to do some radio before chatting at ESPN at 2 ET . . . Parmelee is comparable Moses.  Both were considered among the best pure high school bats in their respective draft years.

Now About That Draft  —  The first 2.4 million rounds done with more to come today.  And it's hard to argue with the results.  (Part of that, of course, is that none of us really know what the hell we're doing, and the other part, of course, is that even among the people …

Padres-Brewers Preview  —  With their lineup struggling, the San Diego Padres hope Chan Ho Park can continue his dominance over the Milwaukee Brewers when the teams' four-game series at Miller Park continues Wednesday.  —  The Brewers (28-31) defeated the Padres 5-1 on Tuesday behind a three-hitter from Dave Bush .

Reyes Is a Dynamo, but He's Still Not Playing the Percentages  —  LOS ANGELES, June 6 — Coming off a tough loss Sunday, José Reyes set the tone for the Mets' 4-1 victory Monday by hitting a homer to lead off the game.  It was his sixth home run of the year, one fewer than his career high, set last season.

Rangers pick lefty from Alabama  —  ARLINGTON - Most things being pretty equal, the Rangers' first-round draft decision Tuesday came down to taking a lefty or right-hander.  —  In the case of the Rangers, left is always right.  —  And so, the club chose diminutive Alabama high schooler Kasey Kiker …

Lies, Damned Lies  —  Tony LaRussa and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Long Game  —  Each year, there are a handful of relatively ordinary baseball games that forever etch themselves in my memory.  Last Friday's Cubs-Cardinals game is one such contest.

Alas, the odds are against M's top pick  —  This just in from Twilight Zone News Services:  —  SEATTLE — Picking up a phone to answer a call from the Seattle Mariners, highly regarded pitcher Brandon Morrow suffered an injury to his pitching elbow Tuesday that may have to be repaired by "Tommy John" ligament replacement surgery.

Tigers get a taste of Cintron … CHICAGO — There are, in fact, several living human beings who can remember the last time a Tigers-White Sox series felt like this.  —  Big.  Well, bigger than a Daily Lotto drawing, anyway.  —  Meaningful.  Well, more meaningful than a Nicole Jordan novel, at least.

Nats hire Davey Johnson as special consultant to GM  —  WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals hired former major-league manager and player Davey Johnson on Wednesday as a special consultant to general manager Jim Bowden.  —  The 63-year-old Johnson will contribute to player personnel matters …

Was it right pick?  No one really knows  —  Here's the one thing we know for sure about baseball's amateur draft: We don't know anything.  To question the wisdom of the Royals taking Luke Hochevar with the first pick is like second-guessing your buddy for picking a Powerball number.