Johan Santana - done for the year?

The Mets are 16.5 games out of first in the N.L. East and 14 games behind in the N.L. wildcard race.

Mets ace Johan Santana, who's being scratched from his Tuesday start, has elbow soreness.

Just as two plus two adds up to four, those two factors add up to making it time to shut down Santana for the year as Tim Smith of the NY Daily News argues.

"I'm terribly concerned, no question about it," [Mets manager] Jerry Manuel said Monday. "He's been pitching probably since the break (with soreness), but not to the level of discomfort he has now."

In Santana's place, the Mets will start Nelson Figueroa Tuesday.

"I know that he's a gamer and he wants to be out there with his teammates and fight through all the adversity that this team has had to go through," said [Mets reliever] Billy Wagner (who just returned from Tommy John surgery). "But I think if he tries to push it, and possibly injures himself worse, he's talking about his career. He's not talking about just one season."

On the season, Santana is 13-9 with an ERA of 3.13 and 146 strikeouts.

Sox claim Billy Wagner off waivers

The Red Sox have claimed Billy Wagner off waivers. Now the Sox have until 1 p.m. on Tuesday to work out a deal with the Mets, per John Tomase of the Boston Herald.

If the Mets and Red Sox don't work out a trade, the Mets could do a salary dump and let the Red Sox have Wagner. If that happens, the Red Sox would owe Wagner $2.6 million for this year and have an $8 million option for next year with a $1 million buyout.

If the Mets pull Wagner off waivers, they won't be able to trade him this year.

As Tomase points out, Wagner would likely be a Type A free agent, which means the Mets would be compensated with two first-round draft picks. That makes it unlikely that the Mets let the Red Sox have him without getting something in return.

According to Peter Botte of the NY Daily News, Wagner said Friday about the possibility of pitching for Boston: "That's news to me, buddy. You know what, I haven't heard anything, so I can't speculate anything."

And he's available to pitch tonight (game's currently in 8th inning) according to manager Jerry Manuel: “As far as I know, I haven’t gotten anything to say to not pitch him and today is his scheduled day for work, so if that opportunity presents itself, unless I get something different, I will definitely put him in the game.”

Wagner, who had Tommy John surgery last September, pitched a perfect, two-strikeout eighth inning against the Braves on Thursday. And he hit 96 mph on the radar gun.

The Hot Corner, 8/19

The Cardinals have signed John Smoltz, who was released by the Red Sox.

Of starting pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched, the Brewers' starters have three of the top 15 pitchers in highest slugging percentage allowed as pointed out by Brew Crew Ball.

Babes Loves Baseball has compiled a list (in honor of Brett Favre, who unretired yesterday) of ten baseball players who should never un-retire.

Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee threw a two-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Reds have called up Drew Stubbs, the former number one pick in 2006.

The Mets have placed Billy Wagner on waivers, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.

The Indians have recalled Matt LaPorta and he will mostly play first base.

Jered Weaver pitched a seven-hit shutout as the Angels beat the Indians 3-0.

Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti doesn't expect Matt Cain, whose fastball to David Wright's head landing Wright on the DL, to pitch with fear on Thursday.

Nats sign Strasburg to four-year deal

The Washington Nationals have signed Stephen Strasburg, the top overall pick in this year's amateur draft, to a four-year deal worth $15.1 million, according to Ben Goessling of The Washington Times.

The record-setting deal was signed with only a minute to spare before the Monday midnight deadline.

"We are proud to have him in the organization, and we're very happy to add him to a growing list of young, upsided right-handed starters," acting general manager Mike Rizzo said. "It's a big day for the Washington Nationals. It's a big day for the fans of Washington, D.C. And it's a big day for the city of Washington."

The previous record deal was given to Mark Prior when the Cubs signed him to a $10.5 million deal in 2001.

Rizzo wouldn't discuss a possible September call up for Strasburg saying, "We're not going to go into that right now." But if he is called up, it'll be the first time the top overall pick plays in the majors in the same year in which they were drafted since 1989.

Strasburg was nearly unhittable at San Diego State where he struck out 195 batters in 109 innings last year. He went 10-1 with an ERA of 1.32.

David Wright heading to 15-day DL, may be done for year

After getting hit in the head by a 93-mph fastball from Giants pitcher Matt Cain in yesterday's game, Mets third baseman David Wright, who spent the night in the hospital, had a CT scan, which was negative, according to Roger Rubin of the NY Daily News.

Wright, who suffered a concussion, has since been released from the hospital.

The Mets have placed Wright on the 15-day disabled list and it's possible that he could miss the remainder of the season. "It's going to depend on the tests," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "If there's any question, it's a possibility."

“David wanted to take a chance to go out and play, but we decided to take it away from him and DL him based on the recommendation of our doctors who consulted with a specialist,” [general manager Omar] Minaya said, per the Associated Press.

With Wright being placed on the DL, the Mets have called up Andy Green from Triple-A Buffalo.

On the season, Wright was hitting .324 with eight home runs and 55 runs batted in. He also had 24 stolen bases.

Big Fraud and Manny? Busted...

What do David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez share in common with Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa?

They appear on the list of roughly 100 players that tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times.

Ramirez and Ortiz were two key components of Boston's World Series teams (2004 and 2007). Ramirez was named MVP of the 2004 World Series.

In 2003, Major League Baseball performed survey testing, which was supposed to be confidential and not subject to penalties. However, names have been leaked roughly every month or two.

While it would make more sense to release all the names and put this behind us, I can't see the MLB Players Association going for that.

Back in 2003, David "Big Fraud" Ortiz set career highs in home runs (31) and runs batted in (101) and continued to improve on those numbers for four straight years as noted by Schmidt.

Big Fraud's comments earlier in the year make this report that much funnier -- especially as a Yankees fan that's annoyed by the holier-than-thou attitude of Red Sox fans.

"I think you clean up the game by the testing," Ortiz said in February at Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, Fla. "I test you, you test positive, you're going to be out. Period.

"If I test positive by using any kind of banned substance, I'm going to disrespect my family, the game, the fans and everybody," Ortiz said. "And I don't want to be put in that situation. So what I will do, I won't use it. I'm pretty sure everybody is on the same page."

So then, Big Fraud, as you say, you have disrespected your family, the game, the fans and everybody.

Cards acquire Matt Holliday from A's

The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired Matt Holliday from Oakland Athletics.

In return, the A's receive prospects Brett Wallace, Shane Peterson and Clayton Mortensen from the Cardinals.

Wallace, who was considered the Cardinals' top prospect, was drafted in the first round in 2008.

Before the trade, Holliday was hitting .286 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI in Oakland. However, he was starting the hit the ball really well. In his last 10 games in Oakland, Holliday had five multi-hit games collecting 16 hits during that span.

Now he goes to a lineup where he will bat behind Albert Pujols, the world's greatest hitter.

In his first game with the Cardinals, Holliday had four hits in five at bats in the Cards' 8-1 win over the Phillies.

Holliday provides protection for Pujols and helps boost the Cardinals lineup. The Cardinals are 17th in the majors in runs scored (428 runs) and 23rd in batting average (.254).

However, their pitching has been strong as they are fifth in ERA (3.75). Both Chris Carpenter (8-3, 2.26 ERA) and Adam Wainwright (11-6, 2.95 ERA) have sub-3.00 ERAs.

While only 2 1/2 games separate the top four teams in the N.L. Central, this move means the Cardinals should separate themselves from the pack.

Perfect game for Mark Buehrle

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle became the 18th pitcher in Major League history to pitch a perfect game beating the Rays 5-0 at U.S. Cellular Field.

For the first out of the ninth inning, White Sox outfielder Dewayne Wise made a spectacular grab to rob a home run from Gabe Kapler.

It becomes the second perfect game in franchise history. The other was thrown by Charlie Robertson in 1922.

Back in 2007, Buehrle pitched a no-hitter and walked only one batter (Sammy Sosa). In fact, Sosa was picked off two pitches later and Buehrle faced the minimum 27 batters in that game as well.

Buehrle improves his record to 11-3 with an ERA of 3.28 and the White Sox are now tied with the Tigers for first in the A.L. Central. The Tigers lost to the Mariners today.

Wakefield to DL, Buchholz to start Wednesday

The Boston Red Sox have placed All-Star Tim Wakefield on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain.

To replace Wakefield on the roster and in the rotation, the Red Sox have recalled Clay Buchholz from Pawtucket

“Any day in the big leagues is a better day than in the minor leagues,’’ Buchholz said. “I’m happy to be here. I’ll go after them and see what happens.’’

"He pitched good the other day,’’ Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “As an organization, I think we’re pretty fortunate that something like this can happen and we can have a guy like Clay ready to pitch.’’

Buchholz, who went 2-9 with an ERA of 6.75 last year, will get the ball tomorrow night against the Texas Rangers and Vicente Padilla.

Wakefield will be eligible to come off the DL on August 2nd, which means Buchholz will get at least two starts.

Tigers place Joel Zumaya on DL

The Detroit Tigers have placed reliever Joel Zumaya on the 15-day disabled list, per Steve Kornacki of MLive.com.

Zumaya, who gave up the game-winning home run to Mark Teixeira last night, felt pain in his shoulder and is scheduled for an MRI later today.

The Tigers have recalled Ryan Perry, who was their first-round pick in 2008, from Triple-A Toledo to take Zumaya's roster spot.

Perry, who has a 4.28 ERA in 27 1/3 innings, was sent down to improve his control, which he has done. In 13 2/3 innings in Toledo, Perry was 1-0 with an ERA of 2.63, 12 strikeouts and only four walks.

Zumaya, on the other hand, has now blown four save opportunities in his past nine appearances.

The Hot Corner, 7/18 edition

The Braves shut out the Mets 11-0 for the Mets' fourth shutout loss in their past nine games.

Per Adam Rubin of the NY Daily News, Mets pitcher Tim Redding may be released as soon as today.

The Mets deny that Jose Reyes suffered a setback in his rehab.

Luke Grienke, Zack's brother, hopes to make a return in 2010 from the surgery he had last year to repair a torn labrum.

The Yankees will start Sergio Mitre on Tuesday against Baltimore.

Matt Gagne of the NY Daily News wonders about a possible future return to the starting rotation for Phil Hughes.

The Yankees ended a three-game losing streak by beating the Tigers 5-3 yesterday.

Giants pitcher Matt Cain will keep his scheduled start on Sunday.

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is working on reducing errors.

The Blue Jays are moving Brian Tallet to the bullpen.

Albert Pujols hit a pair of home runs last night as the Cards beat the D'Backs 6-1.

Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello said of stepping onto the field at Yankee Stadium: "It was pretty cool. It was pretty special. It was one of those moments."

Detroit's Carlos Guillen is sore, but he continues to rehab.

Despite three RBI from Josh Hamilton, the Rangers lost 5-3 to the Twins.

Despite a shaky performance by closer Brad Lidge, the Phillies won in 12 innings last night.

Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla had the night off against the Phillies.

Red Sox GM Theo Esptein says of talks with Jason Bay, "... we’re going to table discussions again, which once again is a mutual decision, and pick them up most likely after the season.’’

The Red Sox have cut Julio Lugo.

Baltimore's Adam Jones said of the All-Star game, "Words can't even describe it. My eyes are still in amazement from the things that I've seen."

Houston's Roy Oswalt threw a four-hit complete game against the Dodgers.

No issues with the ring finger that scratched his All-Star game appearance as Evan Longoria homered against the Royals last night.

White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen says in reference to Roy Halladay that he doesn't "think we'll give up half the organization for one guy."

Both Alfonso Soriano and Ted Lilly were scratches last night for the Cubs.

Marlins' ace Josh Johnson is on pace to pitch 229 innings.

The A's might consider using a six-man rotation if Justin Duscherer returns to the active roster this year.

Edwin Encarnacion is hitting .323 in 11 games since coming off the DL. He went 4-for-4 last night and he's 7-for-7 in the series against the Brewers as Bronson Arroyo got his 10th win of the season last night.

The Hot Corner, 7/16 edition

A drunk Matt Kemp was an "absolute train wreck" at the ESPY's last night.

The Cubs have signed reliever B.J. Ryan, who had been released by the Blue Jays, to a minor-league contract.

The Dodgers have placed reliever Cory Wade on the DL.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has hit his 200th home run and has done it faster (in 658 games) than any other player in baseball history.

Here's a list of top offensive players in the first half of the 2009 season.

And here's a list of players who might have a better second half than they did in the first half.

The Red Sox will have a tough time trading Julio Lugo even if the eat his salary.

Yankee Damaso Marte threw 12 pitches in a rehab game.

Rangers pitcher Derek Holland will get the start on Sunday against the Twins.

The Hot Corner, 7/13 edition

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria may miss the All-Star game with an infection on his right ring finger.

Jason Bulger, teammate of Brian Fuentes, says of playing catch with Fuentes: "I get a nice extra stretch when I'm playing catch with him, little agility workouts from time to time. He has such movement with the delivery he has. . . . I'm just happy I have all of my teeth."

Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay would welcome a trade to the Yankees.

Ichiro praises manager Don Wakamatsu by saying he's "the number-one field commander, our manager. He has been huge. He's very calm, cool headed, and he prevents the players from panicking. He also has the ability to evaluate things, in an outside-looking-in way. That has been huge for us as well."

Cincinnati's Jay Bruce will miss two months with a broken wrist.

K-Rod feels the game isn't as much as it used to be due to the business aspect of it. "The day you don't get the job done, the day you get hurt, the day you, basically, [don't] do what they ask you to do, they're going to throw you away and they're going to get somebody else to do your job. That's how it is."

The Nationals have fired Manny Acta, who compiled a 158-252 record, and replaced him with bench coach Jim Riggleman.

Some other of my posts today on my other sites - Urban Meyer's comments about his (permanent) future at Florida and Derrick Mason calling it quits.

Mid-season Awards: A.L. MVP

In what was intended to be a weekend worth of mid-season picks for major MLB awards, my laziness has stretched to three weeks.

That being said, I'm ready to post my selection for the A.L. MVP as the Cubs and Cardinals play us into this year's All-Star break.

For N.L. MVP, there was no uncertainty. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was the obvious choice. The A.L. MVP isn't nearly as obvious.



A.L. MVP: Joe Mauer, Twins - Ernie Lombardi (1942) was the last catcher to win a battle before Joe Mauer. Since Lombardi, Mauer has won two batting titles. Despite having his worst game of the season (0-for-5 with four strikeouts) today, Mauer is hitting .373 heading into the All-Star break and leading the A.L. in batting average.

What's different in 2009 for the career .324 hitter is his increase in power. Mauer has hit 15 home runs at the midway point even though he missed the first month of the season. And before this year, his career high was 13 home runs.

Mauer leads the A.L. in OBS (1.090). He and Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist are the only two A.L. players with an OBS of 1.000 or greater heading into Sunday's games.

His 49 runs scored and 49 RBIs put him on pace to surpass 100 of each.



Runner-up: Justin Morneau, Twins - Morneau has put up strong numbers across the board and you could easily make the case that Mauer and Morneau should swap positions.

At the break, Morneau is batting .311 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI. He's second in the A.L. in RBI and tied for fourth place in home runs.

Mauer and Morneau have a nearly identical AB:HR ratio. Mauer has hit one home run per 16.07 at bats while Morneau has hit one home run per 15.9 at bats.

Honorable Mention: Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle), Jason Bay (Boston), Mark Teixeira (NY Yankees), Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay), Ben Zobrist (Tampa Bay), Torii Hunter (LA Angels)

See Cy Young picks: American League and National League.

Carlos Pena to replace Dustin Pedroia on All-Star team

Boston Red Sox second baseman is going to miss this year's All-Star game. A.L. manager Joe Madden named Carlos Pena as his replacement, per Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times.

"I have to believe who ever leads the league in home runs normally belongs in an All-Star game," Maddon said. "And the fact he hadn't been on the team yet bothered me just a little bit, so for whatever reason, it all worked out well."

Pena leads the A.L. in home runs (24) and was one of the five finalists for the final A.L. All-Star spot. Despite the Rays' "Vote 'Los" campaign, Detroit's Brandon Inge won that honor.

Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler finished second to Inge in voting for the final spot. Pena finished fourth.

In addition to leading the A.L. in home runs, Pena is tenth in RBI (58) and is hitting .230.

Pena is one of the eight Home Run Derby contestants. He'll be competing against Nelson Cruz (Texas), Brandon Inge (Detroit), Joe Mauer (Minnesota), Albert Pujols (St. Louis), Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego), Prince Fielder (Milwaukee) and Ryan Howard (Philadelphia).

Other Rays' All-Stars include Evan Longoria, who will start at third base, and reserves Jason Bartlett, Ben Zobrist and Carl Crawford. See the full All-Star roster here.