Mets release Oliver Perez  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Three days after the New York Mets informed second baseman Luis Castillo he was being released, left-hander Oliver Perez received the same fate Monday morning.  —  Team officials informed Perez he was being let go despite being owed $12 million in the final year of his deal.

Pirates release Atkins; Olsen could start year on DL  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates this morning granted an unconditional release to infielder Garrett Atkins, signed by the club as a minor league free agent in the offseason.  —  Atkins hit .129 (4 for 31) this spring with 11 strikeouts in 17 games.

La Russa and Riggleman feud, dugouts clear  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman and St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa were at the epicenter of a dugout-clearing brouhaha Monday at Roger Dean Stadium.  —  Cardinals reliever Miguel Batista hit Ian Desmond …

Jason Isringhausen pitches way into competition with Bobby Parnell for Mets' 8th-inning setup role  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Jason Isringhausen knows that one pitch can alter a career, or ruin a comeback attempt, so the three-time Tommy John survivor went straight to the doctor about a week ago after feeling a pop in his elbow.

McDonald leaves game with jammed thumb  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Red Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald left Monday's game against the Phillies with a jammed right thumb.  —  McDonald, who started in left field and hit in the No. 7 spot, lined out to second base in his first at-bat in the top …

Twins' staff losing ground in AL Central  —  DUNEDIN, FLA.  —  The Minnesota Twins have won six division titles in Ron Gardenhire's nine seasons as manager.  In that span, no team in the majors has more.  —  Gardenhire is perhaps the best manager in baseball.  He has Joe Mauer (as long as he's healthy).

Mets owners fire back at trustee trying to recover money for Madoff victims in motion to dismiss  —  Lawyers for the owners of the Mets have obtained two sworn depositions that they say severely undercut the claims in the $1 billion lawsuit that Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee recovering money …

The Jeter/Giambi Play |  Oct 13, 2001 |  “The Flip”  —  ESPN tells the tale well: … You've no doubt read or perhaps heard some of the thousands of words uttered about this improbable play, but now you can see just how absurd the entire sequence was.  As a saber site, we can roll our eyes …

Grapefruit Game 27: Red Sox at Phillies  —  Pitching: RHP Roy Halladay, LHP J.C. Romero, RHP Ryan Madson, RHP David Herndon, RHP Scott Mathieson.  —  Game time: 1:05 p.m.  —  Location: Bright House Field, Clearwater  —  TV/Radio: ESPN  —  Notes: The Sox have lost four straight and five of their last six. ...

Johnny Cueto has shoulder inflammation; will be shut down for 7-10 days  —  Johnny Cueto left his start Saturday after just one inning because he was suffering from biceps stiffness.  The Reds flew Cueto to Cincinnati yesterday for an arm exam this morning with team doctors.

He's hip: A-Rod finds fountain of youth in hot spring  —  Just two years after a torn labrum in his hip threatened to sideline Alex Rodriguez  —  for more than half of the 2009 season, the New York Yankees slugger has recovered enough of his powerful potency to turn heads with towering home runs …

Major League Baseball Uniform Player's Contract  —  Contracts are an obsession at MLB Trade Rumors, but have you ever seen an actual one?  We got our hands on a real Uniform Player's Contract, with the identifying details removed.  If you ever wanted to know which other sports a baseball player …

Peavy shut down after feeling shoulder pain  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — In the matter of approximately 16 hours, Jake Peavy went from a veritable White Sox roster lock to almost certainly not being part of their Opening Day active ranks on April 1 in Cleveland.  —  “Ah, he will be in Cleveland …