La Russa, Pujols will appear at Washington rally  —  WASHINGTON  • Cardinals first baseman and three-time NL Most Valuable Player Albert Pujols will be among several honorees at a highly publicized and potentially politically charged Saturday morning rally expected to draw more than 20,000 to The Mall.

Stephen Strasburg ‘probably’ needs Tommy John surgery, will miss 12 to 18 months  —  Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg will “probably” miss at least one year and perhaps the entire 2011 baseball season after undergoing Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, General Manager Mike Rizzo said.

Jays' Snider stays cool while awaiting his chance  —  PHOTOS ( 1 )  —  Toronto Blue Jays player Travis Snider (C) joins kids from Jays Care Rookie League and the Hospital for Sick Children to unveil Jays Care Community Clubhouse at the Rogers Centre.  —  TORONTO — For the third time in four days …

Mets' Jose Reyes (oblique) exits game  —  NEW YORK — A strained oblique forced Mets shortstop Jose Reyes to leave Thursday night's game versus the Florida Marlins in the second inning.  The Mets described the injury as “mild,” but said Reyes will not play again until he has no pain in the oblique.

Yankees' New Boss Determined to Carry On  —  Hank Steinbrenner brought to mind the image of the Boss as he barked at his players to get onto the stage for a news conference.  “Let's go!” he said.  —  Steinbrenner was not directing his major leaguers but rather Hank's Yanks, the 18-and-under team he sponsors.

Marlins execs funneled cash to themselves  —  Florida Marlins president David Samson has perfected the art of doublespeak.  Even after the mushroom cloud settled over the disclosure of financial statements that showed he and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria are indeed duplicitous, Samson couldn't help himself.

Leaked Tampa Bay Rays Docs Make Case for Revenue-Sharing, New Ballpark  —  When the leaked MLB financial documents hit the public, and especially so since The AP got a jump the Sunday night before, the focus was acutely focused on the Pirates.  Given 18 losing seasons, and the fact that the club …

Andy Pettitte throwing bullpen session in front of New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi Friday  —  CHICAGO - It wasn't all that long ago that the Yankees' starting rotation was considered the strongest in the American League, boasting three pitchers on the All-Star team last month in Anaheim.

Kelly Johnson Clears Waivers  —  Kelly Johnson cleared waivers and can now be traded to any team, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  However, an Arizona executive told Morosi that it's “unlikely” that the D'Backs make a trade.  Johnson joins teammate Adam LaRoche on MLBTR's list of players to clear waivers.

Pedroia surgery is likely  —  Reevaluation due in about seven days  —  There is a strong likelihood that Dustin Pedroia will end up having season-ending surgery in approximately a week.  —  The Red Sox second baseman will wear a boot on his foot for about seven days to stabilize the area …