In historically bad taste here  —  Great player.  —  Total fraud.  —  Welcome home, Nomie.  —  I hate to be the fly in the punch bowl here, but yesterday's lovefest involving Nomar Garciaparra and the Red Sox was truly nauseating.  If Nomar had been hooked up to a polygraph, the machine would have exploded.

Mets' Jose Reyes out 2-8 weeks with thyroid problem  —  New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes needs to “to rest, refrain from athletic activity and make changes in his diet” following a diagnosis of hyperthyroid, the club said today.  —  On a conference call with New York reporters, Reyes' agent …

Chamberlain falls further behind in race for No. 5  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Joba Chamberlain says he knows the deal when it comes to the fifth starter's spot in Joe Girardi's rotation.  —  Now he has to start pitching like it.  —  “I understand what's at stake,” Chamberlain said after getting spanked …

Giles retires after 15 seasons  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — The battle for the Dodgers' left-handed pinch-hitting spot was reduced to two players on Thursday after non-roster outfielder Brian Giles, a 15-year veteran and two-time All-Star, retired from baseball.  Giles was with the Padres last season but has not played since June 18.

Jerry Manuel determined to use Jenrry Mejia in short and frequent relief spurts for New York Mets  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - If Jenrry Mejia is assigned to the Mets' Double-A team, he's not going to be stretched out enough to immediately contribute in the Binghamton rotation.

Norris among six Nationals reassigned  —  Estes, Guardado released; 53 players remain in camp  —  VIERA, Fla. — The Nationals reassigned pitchers Victor Garate, Logan Kensing, Joel Peralta and Ryan Speier, catcher Derek Norris and outfielder Jerry Owens to Minor League camp on Thursday.

Helton agrees to two-year contract extension  —  TUCSON — Todd Helton has agreed to a two-year, $9.9-million extension taking him through 2013, and in all likelihood, allowing him to retire as a Rockie.  As part of the contract, Helton will defer $13.1 million beginning next season, which gives the Rockies tremendous flexibility.

Sources: Kevin Towers Joining Yankees  —  Kevin Towers, the former Padres general manager, is joining the Yankees as a special assistant to general manager Brian Cashman, according to two major league sources.  —  Towers willl start with the Yankees next week in Tampa after being introduced on Tuesday.

Yankees favorite among five teams for Cuban shortstop  —  According to sources, the Yankees remain the favorites to sign Cuban shortstop Adeinis Hechavarria.  —  However, they have company in chasing the 21-year-old who defected from Cuba last year.  —  “There are five teams that are interested,” a source said.

Royals Day in Camp |  Rookie Blake Wood pitching his way to bullpen spot  —  If this was the Royals' last visit to venerable Hi Corbett Field, as seems likely, they went out in style.  Zack Greinke and five relievers combined on a five-hit shutout Wednesday afternoon in a 5-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies in Tucson, Ariz.

Tiger Woods will be back in two weeks  —  MIAMI — Tiger Woods has summoned someone even more significant than swing coach Hank Haney to help facilitate his wildly anticipated comeback.  —  Two sources in the golf community have told The Post that Ari Fleischer, the former presidential advisor …

Is it time for Twins to ponder the unthinkable?  —  If negotiations on a new deal continue to lag, the Twins might be forced to consider trading the hometown hero rather than risk losing him as a free agent.  —  FORT MYERS, FLA. - It's mid-March and the race of the reluctant Minnesota stars is on:

Bay's state of mind  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Though he sat in the dugout sipping periodically from a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee, caffeine addict Jason Bay said that he wasn't there to talk about his health, about the offseason, about Boston's failed bid to keep their left fielder.