Injuries mount for Marlins' staff  —  Tankersley shut down 5-7 days; Johnson worries grow  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Some of the Marlins' most promising young pitchers have injury concerns.  —  On Wednesday night, the Marlins confirmed that reliever Taylor Tankersley has left shoulder inflammation …

Schilling in fine form for Sox in opener  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Stopper."  —  That's the tune citizens of Red Sox Nation could have been humming after Curt Schilling's two innings in the inaugural game of the 2007 spring training season last night.

Mets have aces up sleeve  —  No Zito, but plenty of good young arms  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - You could almost hear the zinger coming.  The more Oliver Perez struggled in the Mets' spring training opener yesterday, the louder the grumbling among the paying customers grew.

Cactus opener offers look at what Cubs have  —  MESA, Ariz. — After writing his opening Cubs lineup in cursive on a company envelope, Lou Piniella wandered outside his office Wednesday morning and handed it to a group of reporters.  —  If it winds up in Cooperstown, Piniella's role as miracle worker will be deemed a huge success.

Report: Athletes received illegal 'roids via online ring  —  The West Coast had BALCO.  Now the East Coast could be in the midst of its own steroid scandal.  —  An illicit steroid distribution network, which may be responsible for Internet sales of performance-enhancing drugs nationwide …

HITTING IT OFF  —  MR. OCTOBER SCHOOLS A-ROD IN CAGE, SEES MONSTER YEAR  —  Smooth and powerful swings sent the sound of thunder racing through the Legends Field batting cages yesterday, where a Hall of Famer was working with a future Cooperstown resident long after the Yankees' regular workout ended.

Miller's Clout Goes Unrewarded by Veteran Voters  —  You'll excuse Marvin Miller, please, if he is more concerned right now about his left shoulder than he is about his vote count.  —  "Terry and I were in Florida in mid-December," Miller said, referring to his wife.

Selig Memo: MLB to Test Non-Players for Steroids, Drugs  —  A newly released and obtained 5-page memo from Commissioner Selig, outlining the breadth and width of attempts to eradicate steroid use in MLB, all personnel—players (Major and Minor League), non-players (Major and Minor League) …

Q&A with Terry Tiffee  —  Terry Tiffee was drafted in the 26th round of the 1999 first-year player draft by Minnesota and played parts of three seasons with the Twins before the Orioles signed him as a minor league free agent in November.  Tiffee, who hit .244 last season with two home runs and six RBIs …

Guillen hopes Jenks not stretching truth  —  Says he trusts closer that exit was due to tightness, not pain  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — The White Sox have more than four weeks to work out the kinks before their April 2 regular-season opener.  —  That also should give closer Bobby Jenks …

Mets' Sanchez takes step in recovery  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Good news doesn't necessarily mean definitive news.  —  It doesn't for Mets reliever Duaner Sanchez, who took a significant step in his recovery from shoulder surgery when he threw from flat ground yesterday, but hedged about being ready for Opening Day.

Baseball Q&A with Dan Connolly … Michael, Boalsburg, Pa.: What is the key to developing a consistent flow of talent that keeps low-budget teams like the Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins competitive without breaking the bank?  —  Dan Connolly: Start with the top.