UPDATE: Clark Spencer snapped a picture of today’s remembrance ceremony for the Miami Herald.  And here’s a recap of the day’s events. 12:02pm: ESPN’s Amy K. Nelson wrote a powerful piece this morning on Rockies president Keli McGregor, who died suddenly last week in a Salt Lake City hotel room.  McGregor wasn’t often in the…

Ryan Young of the Kansas City Star reports that Royals infielder Josh Fields is about ready to undergo hip surgery that could sideline him for the remainder of the 2010 season. The Royals picked up Fields this offseason when they traded third baseman Mark Teahen to the White Sox.  Fields was placed on the disabled…

Yankees DH Nick Johnson has missed two games in a row and is likely out until Tuesday due to lingering back stiffness, according to Chad Jennings of The Journal News. Johnson isn’t concerned that it will be a long-term issue, for what it’s worth.  But he has been plagued by injuries for most of his…

We all know what a great player Joe Mauer is, and on Saturday evening in Kansas City he built on that legend.  The Twins catcher finished 5-for-6 with two RBI in Minnesota’s extra-innings victory over the Royals.  It was his third career five-hit game and the 14th time Mauer has tallied four-plus hits. Mauer, 27,…

According to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Ian Kinsler is ready to kick off a rehab assignment this week at Double-A Frisco, where he will play three nine-inning games during the upcoming week. Kinsler has been sidelined all month with a high ankle sprain, but played in an extended spring training game on…

Ted Lilly was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Saturday afternoon and tossed six scoreless innings against the division rival Cubs.  He should help revitalize a Chicago rotation that has lost a bit of its identity since the demotion of Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen. Lilly went 12-9 with a career-best 3.10 ERA and…

Roy Oswalt has left the Astros temporarily to assist his parents, who suffered damage to their home Saturday when a tornado raged through Weir, Mississippi. Oswalt pitched on Friday, so he’s off for the early part of the upcoming week anyway.  He should be back in time for his next scheduled start, Thursday against the…

7:12pm: According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the injury is not considered serious.  Anderson likened it to a cramp and said that he expects to make his next scheduled start. 6:40pm: A’s youngster Brett Anderson was lifted from Saturday’s game against the Indians after just 80 pitches due to left elbow tightness. …

The Dodgers have placed right-hander Vicente Padilla on the 15-day disabled list due to a sore right forearm, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Padilla, 32, is 1-1 with a 7.06 ERA and 1.48 WHIP over his first four starts this season, posting a 23/6 K/BB ratio over 21 2/3 innings. He…

UPDATE: Jones tells O’Brien that he felt a pop in his right hip during his first at-bat on Saturday and expects that he’ll be out of the lineup for “more than just one or two days.” 2:59 PM: Chipper Jones, who turned 38 years old on Saturday, was forced to exit this afternoon’s game against…

UPDATE: Wood tells Eric Gilmore of MLB.com that he “felt fine” after playing catch on Saturday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Sunday. “I’ll throw off the mound again [Sunday] and continue the process.” The Indians will likely provide a more definitive timeline on his return after he throws on Sunday. 11:56…

Here’s a minor deal, as the Red Sox have re-acquired outfielder Jonathan Van Every from the Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Van Every, 30, had spent the previous two seasons in the Red Sox organization before signing a minor league deal with…

Andruw Jones celebrated his 33rd birthday in style on Friday night, slugging two solo home runs, including a walk-off shot in a 7-6 win over the Mariners. Jones, who reportedly lost 15 to 20 pounds over the winter, is off to a fantastic start in Chicago, batting .293/.408/.756 with six home runs and nine RBI…

UPDATE: Bill Baer of Crashburn Alley comes to a similar conclusion, if you are looking for a more in-depth analysis. 1:45 PM: Facts are facts. Cole Hamels was knocked around pretty good by the Diamondbacks on Friday night, giving up a career-high four home runs, including three in the fourth inning. Hamels has allowed seven…

Dioner Navarro was ejected during the sixth inning of Friday’s game against the Blue Jays for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Dan Bellino. After Bellino gave him the ol’ heave-ho, Navarro gave him a nice little bump with his chest protector. MLB won’t like that. After the game, Navarro told Bill Chastain…

Angels catcher Bobby Wilson, who was making his first major league start on Friday, was forced to leave the game after being barreled over by Mark Teixeira while trying to block the plate in the third inning. According to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Wilson was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain and…

Don’t tell Craig, but according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Jeff Francoeur drove 20-year-old phenom Jason Heyward to Citi Field on Friday night. As O’Brien relays, Francoeur originally intended to pick up old chum Brian McCann, but when he arrived at the Manhattan hotel where the Braves were staying, Chipper Jones and…

Mark McGwire and the Cardinals made a stop in the Bay Area for this weekend’s series against the Giants, prompting the obvious rehashing of steroids and timelines, all of which he side-stepped for the most part. Feel free to read all of John Shea’s article from the San Francisco Chronicle if you are truly interested.…

John Maine was forced to leave Friday’s game against the Braves in the fourth inning due to muscle spasms and pain in his left (non-throwing) elbow. It’s odd, but certainly nothing new for Maine, who left a a start against the Phillies on July 5, 2008 with a cramp in his left forearm. According to…

Naturally, reporters and columnists were licking their chops for Milton Bradley’s return to Chicago this weekend, so even though he didn’t play on Friday due to a sore left calf, it was awful nice of him to throw everyone a bone by continuing to say some rather silly things. Here’s a sample, via Scot Gregor…