Rogers placed on disabled list  —  Tigers left-hander will miss season's start due to fatigued arm  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — The Tigers will go into the 2007 season without one of their heroes from last postseason.  The team placed Kenny Rogers on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with what is being described as a fatigued arm.

Wright good fit at No. 2  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — After coming up with excuses for putting David Wright in the No. 2 spot for most of spring training, Willie Randolph is showing his hand during its final days, using him there almost exclusively since his "tighten-up" meeting March 20.

Cards have tough decisions ahead  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Skip Schumaker is in, John Rodriguez is out and an overcrowded bullpen awaits a potential trade before taking final shape.  —  Manager Tony La Russa almost completed construction of the Cardinals' opening day roster Wednesday …

Pirates Notebook: Sanchez progresses at plate, in field  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  SARASOTA, Fla. — It was just the first step, and one gingerly taken.  —  Still, Freddy Sanchez began to show the Pirates he could be ready for opening day — even if only as a pinch-hitter …

Favorable Reviews  —  Their Movie Tastes Differ, But Matsuzaka And Okajima Earn ...  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Daisuke Matsuzaka's season almost ended before it began Wednesday.  —  Curse of the Bambino?  More like the Curse of the Banged Elbow.  —  It all started innocently enough.

Gagne to start season on disabled list  —  Reliever needs more innings before pitching in Major Leagues  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Rangers broke camp on Thursday and are ready to head back to Texas.  Reliever Eric Gagne wasn't with them, and he won't pitch for them for another two weeks.

Q&A with MLB commissioner Bud Selig  —  The date was Dec. 6, 2001.  —  Commissioner Bud Selig, testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, could not have sounded more depressed about the state of Major League Baseball.  —  Selig was in Washington D.C. to address a bill …

American (and National) Top 30  —  First off, thanks to Geoff Silver and the Sports Business section of the Columbia University MBA program for hosting Steven Goldman, Derek Jacques, Jay Jaffe, Alex Belth and I on Tuesday evening.  We had two great hours of discussion on the business of Baseball Prospectus …

Wright makes Rangers' rotation  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  PEORIA, Ariz. - The Rangers pitching staff is just about set.  They think.  —  Before their second shellacking in as many days, the Rangers named Jamey Wright their fifth starter, Kameron Loe their long reliever …

Reds option Majewski, Livington  —  SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Left-hander Bobby Livingston, who was competing for the fifth spot in the Cincinnati Reds' rotation, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday along with reliever Gary Majewski.  —  Also, a medical test on outfielder Chris Denorfia detected …

Crucial moves on deck for Rays … CLEARWATER - The Devil Rays narrowly picked Edwin Jackson over J.P. Howell as their fifth starter on Wednesday and reduced their bullpen options by sending Tim Corcoran and Scott Dohmann to Triple A.  —  But more interesting, more difficult and, potentially, more surprising decisions remain.

Ordonez on verge of making Mariners  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — A smiling Rey Ordonez insists he has done all he can to complete one of the more improbable sports comebacks in recent memory.  —  And the Mariners now appear ready to reward the 36-year-old infielder, out of baseball since 2004, with a spot on their opening day roster.

Yankees: Phelps' chance has come, but Villone may go  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Josh Phelps has apparently won a spot on the Yankees roster.  —  Andy Phillips, who had been competing with Phelps to platoon at first base with Doug Mientkiewicz, yesterday was placed on outright waivers.

Quirk of fortune  —  Superstitions the norm among baseball players  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Baseball is a game of rituals, routines, secrets, and superstitions.  A timeless game played by grown men who get paid to be boys.  Superstitious boys.  —  Carl Yastrzemski is sitting in a golf cart …

Gibson teaching the art of baserunning … PEORIA, Ariz. — When the Arizona Diamondbacks sprint down the first-base line this season like a bunch of caffeinated Rex Hudlers, you can chalk it up to attentiveness to detail and inherent professional pride.  —  And if their minds ever wander …

Swindal Divorce Shakes Up Yankee Hierarchy  —  George Steinbrenner ate dinner in the cafeteria at Legends Field on Wednesday with his daughter Jessica beside him and her husband, Felix Lopez, next to her.  Lopez merrily took out a cellphone and snapped a picture of his wife and his father-in-law.

MLB PREVIEW 2007  —  FIXED  —  With Ben Sheets, Chris Capuano, Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush and Claudio Vargas, the Brewers have arguably the division's best rotation.  Yes, they overpaid for Suppan (four years, $42M), but here's why: He has pitched at least 188 innings in each of the past eight seasons …

Player Profile  —  Austin Kearns  —  Unlike former teammate Adam Dunn, who has had disappointing stretches or seasons, Austin Kearns has never really produced over the course of a full season, despite the praised heaped on him before ever earning a spot in the majors.

Cut made, O's roster is anything but final … FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. // For Adam Stern, the walk back to the dugout after striking out yesterday must have seemed almost as long as the flight to Columbus, Ohio, that awaited the Orioles early today.  —  A flight that Stern won't be boarding.