Top News:
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Ellsbury has hairline fractures in 4 ribs — BOSTON — Dismayed by Jacoby Ellsbury's lack of progress toward getting back on the field, the Red Sox sent the 26-year-old outfielder for a CT scan Thursday. The results, manager Terry Francona said, “threw everyone for a loop.” — Ellsbury
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Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Daisuke Matsuzaka to Boston Red Sox rotation; Tim Wakefield to bullpen — BOSTON — Daisuke Matsuzaka will be inserted into the Boston Red Sox's rotation, manager Terry Francona said before Thursday's game, and according to a team source, Tim Wakefield was told before the game he will be moved to the bullpen.
Sean McAdam / Comcast SportsNet:
Wakefield out as Matsuzaka readies for return — BOSTON — When Daisuke Matsuzaka returns to the Red Sox starting rotation next week, it will be Tim Wakefield - and not, as widely speculated, Clay Buchholz — who will be bumped to accommodate him. — The Red Sox announced Thursday afternoon …
Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Rodriguez: “I've never quite heard that” — In a very bizarre game, perhaps the most bizarre moment came in the sixth inning when Alex Rodriguez got into a shouting match with Oakland starter Dallas Braden. — “He just told me to get off his mound,” Rodriguez said. “I was a little surprised.
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Sports Illustrated:
Yanks turn 1st triple play since '68, but fall to A's — OAKLAND, Calif.(AP) Kurt Suzuki hit a three-run homer, Dallas Braden outdueled CC Sabathia and the Oakland Athletics overcame the Yankees' first triple play since 1968 to beat New York 4-2 Thursday. — The A's managed only four hits …
Discussion:
Athletics Nation
External / ESPN:
CC on the hill for Yanks in Oakland, 3:35 p.m. … CC Sabathia is known for struggling in April. That hasn't been the case in 2010. — The powerful left-hander looks to build on yet another dominant outing Thursday night while helping the New York Yankees extend their season-high winning streak …
Associated Press:
New York Yankees nab three Oakland Athletics for first triple play since 1968 … OAKLAND, Calif. — The New York Yankees turned their first triple play since 1968, with third baseman Alex Rodriguez starting the around-the-horn gem against Oakland on Thursday.
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Future Shock — Bryce Harper — Coming into this spring, Bryce Harper was universally seen as the top player in the draft, but the chances of Washington taking him with the first pick were initially handicapped as a 50/50 proposition. Harper's performance so far at the College …
Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Worst loss in Pirates' history: 20-0 — It never has been this low. — Not on a single day, anyway. — The Pirates broke the record for the worst loss in franchise history by getting blown out yet again by the Milwaukee Brewers, 20-0, this afternoon at PNC Park.
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Wood throws simulated session — Tribe closer will work again Friday in Oakland — MINNEAPOLIS — The Indians are getting closer to having their closer back, but it's still going to be a little while. — Kerry Wood, recovering from a strained back muscle, threw his first simulated session …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Jayson Stark / MLB:
Rumblings and Grumblings — Reality or illusion? A look at eight teams off to hot and cold starts — retweet — ESPN.com — Here at Worldwide Rumblings and Grumblings Headquarters, we're turning into the Jeff Probst of baseball columns. After all, who's more into “reality” these days than us, huh?
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Halos, Fuentes unable to close Tigers — Lefty allows two runs in ninth in return from disabled list — ANAHEIM — Miguel Cabrera is one of the last guys you'd want to see making your return to the mound after an absence of 15 days. — He happened to be the first man Brian Fuentes confronted …
Discussion:
6-4-2
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Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:
Smoak Time — In general, it's not a great idea to react to early season slumps and make rash decisions about who should play and who should not. The numbers are all still small samples, and we should generally expect players to perform about the same as we did when spring training ended, regardless of how they've played so far.