Dodgers’ reliever George Sherrill got a nastygram from Bob Watson over pace-of-game issues: Dodgers reliever George Sherrill received a warning letter from MLB vice president of on-field operations Bob Watson for taking too long to warm up on April 14 at Dodger Stadium against the D-backs . . . The letter, a warning that came…

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports on a short and sweet mound meeting during the top of the ninth inning in yesterday’s Red Sox-Orioles game: With right-hander Matt Albers ready in the bullpen, I think most people who have watched the Orioles this season expected Trembley to yank Ohman. Instead he walked to the…

Over the weekend Drew noted that Adrian Gonzalez said that he would not attend next year’s All-Star Game if selected due to the Arizona’s S.B. 1070 immigration law.  Gonzalez is not the only player speaking out. The Padres’ Yorvit Torrealba told the San Diego Union-Tribune “Why do I want to go play in a place…

I’m moderately hostile to luxury suites in ballparks, but Sports Business Journal reports that the Indians are improving the concept somewhat: The Cleveland Indians have redeveloped a vacant suite at Progressive Field into a “fan cave” with a pool table as its centerpiece . . . The space has six high-definition televisions, along with a…

Jimmy Rollins began a running program last week, but said Sunday that his strained calf remains sore and speculated that he won’t be ready to come off the disabled list for at least two more weeks. I’ve had pulled muscles, strained my groin and missed a game. Something like this where it felt like somebody…

I’m not gonna say that the Red Sox’ sweep at the hands of the Orioles wasn’t six kinds of bad for Boston because it was, but the level of fretting I’ve read about it since yesterday is getting out of hand. Take this post from WEEI’s Alex Speier. If you didn’t know any better you’d…

Ben Sheets was awful again Sunday afternoon against the Blue Jays, allowing nine runs while failing to make it out of the fourth inning. Here’s what he said afterward: My breaking ball is absolutely getting walloped every time I throw it. I wouldn’t say my location has been this bad maybe since my rookie year.…

Well, maybe he’s human. An alternative explanation is that, a day after learning that he was being promoted to AAA, he decided to mail one in the same way you mailed in that last Communications 220 exam after you already earned enough credits to graduate and had already been accepted to law school. Strasburg gave…

The Seattle Mariners released outfielder Eric Byrnes after yesterday’s game against the Rangers. Partially due to ineffectiveness, partially due to plain old weirdness. The ineffectiveness: Byrnes was three for 32 on the season. The weirdness: the play on Friday night in which he pulled his bat back on a suicide squeeze, causing Ichiro to get…

Phillies 11, Mets 5: Look, there are about 17 different ways in which Johan Santana’s awful night could be described, but I think the fact that he walked Jamie Moyer with the bases loaded in the fourth pretty much tells you all you need to know. The Victorino grand slam that immediately followed was less…

Unsurprisingly, the Royals made the decision Sunday to option former starting third baseman Alex Gordon to Triple-A Omaha. Gordon spent the first two weeks of the 2010 season on the disabled list and hit just .194 with a .323 slugging percentage in 31 at-bats once he regained his health.  All the while, Alberto Callaspo has…

Zack Greinke threw his 10th career complete game Sunday against the Rays, but was handed his third loss of the season and now stands 0-3 on the year.  Greinke was spectacular as usual, fanning six batters and allowing just five base runners all day.  But, yet again, he received zero run support and had his…

Dave O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar is out of the starting lineup for a third straight game Sunday with a strained left abductor.  Veteran manager Bobby Cox has hinted at the idea of Escobar landing on the 15-day disabled list, but a that all depends on how well the…

Braves rookie Jason Heyward continued his attack on the National League Sunday, pegging a four-year-old boy with a batting practice home run just hours before first pitch.  He’s a dangerous, dangerous man.  A slugger on the loose.  Dave O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the story. All is well — the boy only suffered a…

According to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, third baseman Alex Rodriguez is not in Sunday’s lineup due to pain behind the right knee. Yup, he’s getting old.  The 34-year-old superstar was lifted from Saturday’s game in the ninth inning for the same reason.  It doesn’t sound all that serious and he could return to…

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts has been sidelined since April 9 — pretty much all season — with a strained abdominal muscle.  According to the Baltimore Sun, he “remains at least three weeks away from returning to the lineup, and that’s probably the best case scenario.” “At this point, we just don’t really have a…

UPDATE: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Mauer is more “week-to-week” than he is “day-to-day.”  It sure sounds like he could hit the 15-day disabled list. SATURDAY, 5:34pm: According to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Twins catcher Joe Mauer has been scratched from Saturday’s lineup against…

Kirby Arnold of the Everett Herald reports that injured left-hander Erik Bedard threw a bullpen session this weekend and may be nearing simulated action. Bedard has been out of commission all year as he attempts to rehab yet another shoulder injury.  He had a frustrating spring training and got little going in April, but things…