Nats liken Harper's injury to Brown's  —  Medium ankle sprain has top pick uncertain for Class A opener  —  VIERA, Fla. — Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Bryce Harper's sprained left ankle is similar to the injury that teammate Corey Brown suffered this spring.

Francoeur stays positive through struggles  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Even though Jeff Francoeur has spent most of Spring Training hitting a buck something, he's never lost that million-dollar smile.  The Royals' new right fielder is the epitome of upbeat.  —  “I love this game and I love to be around it,” he said.

Desire to win now kept Greinke from joining Nationals  —  Morry Gash/ AP - Zack Greinke fired his agent, John Courtright, the day after Courtright rejected the Nationals' offer of a $100 million contract extension.  “I could definitely see,” Greinke said, “how it looks a little weird.”

Braves to use Venters, Kimbrel as their closers  —  KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — The Atlanta Braves are finding that former closer, Billy Wagner — and his 422 career saves — isn't easy to replace.  —  So they won't try to do it with just one person.  —  Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel will enter the season sharing the closer's role.

Will Bonds Be Convicted or Just Embarrassed?  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Barry Bonds trial was barely an hour old, and already jurors were working overtime.  Notebooks in hand, they scribbled words like testicular atrophy, heard about female fertility drugs, and were told a bitter ex-mistress …

Agent confident Adrian will ink extension in April  —  Two sides expected to resume contract negotiations soon  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — After a face-to-face meeting with Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein on Tuesday, agent John Boggs continued to have full confidence that first baseman Adrian Gonzalez …

Yankees may need to send Jesus Montero to Triple-A as play behind plate dips during hitting slump  —  SARASOTA, Fla. - Jesus Montero, the can't-miss slugger, hasn't lived up to the hype in spring training, and it's starting to look as if the Yankees may not have a choice but to send him back to Triple-A …

Former Bears manager Metro dies at 91  —  If legends are made by the number of stories told about them, Charlie Metro qualifies hands down.  —  Metro also was a great storyteller, particularly when it came to talking about his 47 years in baseball.  His spectrum included managing stops …

White Sox ponder roster using creative outfield  —  Milledge, Lillibridge fight for spot; Teahen showing versatility  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — The White Sox round of nine camp cuts early Tuesday crystalized most team departments while bringing into sharp focus the remaining battles for spots on the season-opening roster.

Spring training 2011: Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner could both lead off for Yankees  —  It could turn out that the New York Yankees' leadoff hitter “competition” between Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner may not really be a competition at all.  Before Tuesday's game against Baltimore …

Film Shows Babe Ruth, at Leisure and Up Close  —  HENDERSON, Nev. — Tom Stevens sat at a Starbucks in this Las Vegas suburb and watched his grandfather, Babe Ruth, cavort across the computer screen.  —  “I haven't seen anything like that,” he said.  “It doesn't mean that there isn't other stuff out there, but I haven't seen it.”

Estrada steps up  —  Minor League right-hander Marco Estrada made a strong bid for a spot in Milwaukee's April pitching rotation on Tuesday, when he held the Padres scoreless on three singles over 4 1/3 innings at Maryvale Baseball Park.  He struck out four, walked one and received lots …

BoSox must soon say tough goodbyes  —  I'm a Tim Wakefield fan as much as the next guy, if not more.  I love his story, his stoicism, the fact that he gave up a historic home run to Aaron Boone and became even more beloved among Red Sox fans.  —  Still, I wonder: How long must the Sox keep Wakefield around?