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The San Francisco Giants are on the verge of pulling the plug on No. 5 starter Todd Wellemeyer.

They're not ready to recall 20-year-old Madison Bumgarner or to bring right-hander Joe Martinez back to the big club. The organization is reportedly set to call right-hander Eric Hacker, 27, up from Triple-A Fresno to take Wellemeyer's scheduled start on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals.

The Giants could skip the fifth spot in the rotation and use Tim Lincecum on Tuesday, thus pushing back the next start for the No. 5 starter to May 29 against visiting Arizona.

Here are a couple of quick items this afternoon.

According to Jack Curry of the YES Network  

The Yankees have called up veteran catcher Chad Moeller from Triple-A Scranton to replace Jorge Posada , who could miss up to a month with a broken foot.

To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the Yankees transferred Nick Johnson to the 60-day DL.

Maybe the starting line-up should just take a nap before games.

On Wednesday night, pre-game warm-ups claimed another Dodger victim, just minutes before the first pitch against the San Diego Padres.

Manny Ramirez was warming up his aging legs, performing an exercise he does every day before the game begins. The left fielder was swinging his legs in the recreational room, attempting to stretch out his hamstring, when he got too close to a table and struck it with his foot.

It’s about time the Houston Astros made a positive move.

That move came in the form of releasing slumping second baseman Kaz Matsui—who has two days to clear waivers.

According to Astros senior director of social media Alyson Footer, the Astros “asked for waivers on Matsui for purposes of granting him release. If he clears wavers in two days, [the] Astros [are] on the hook for [the] remainder of [his] salary.”

Jeff Keppinger will get a majority of the starts at second base, according to Footer.

We are all aware of the recent situation between Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez and Manager Fredi Gonzalez, and the good news is is that progress is being made as Hanley said to ESPNDeportes that he was willing to apologize to his team in order to move forward and get along with the season.

Henley's fight with Fredi left a lot of mixed feelings and confusion to the team and fans, and Hanley is doing what a true athlete and person should do and that is recognize their mistakes and move forward. 

The Yankees second round draft pick last season, J.R. Murphy left extended spring training and played tonight for the Low A Charleston RiverDogs.

The RiverDogs were playing in Rome, GA against the Low A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

The 6'0", 190 lb Murphy was the designated hitter and ended up 1-3, with a double, RBI and struck out twice.

While drafted as a catcher, and currently part of the long pecking order of highly-rated Yankees catching prospects, I feel Murphy's greatest value to the team is likely as a rightfielder.

Sources of the Chicago Tribune have said the Texas Rangers are interested in acquiring 33-year-old White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski via trade.

Pierzynski is best known for his role in carving together one of the best pitching staffs in MLB, dropping the White Sox ERA from 4.91 in 2004 to 3.61 in 2005, his first year with the team, leading to a World Series championship. Unless you watch ESPN, then he's best known for causing controversy for playing baseball intelligently.

Just chill, Giants—we got this.

After sweeping aside the San Francisco Giants in a three-game series, the San Diego Padres had the favor returned to them by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The sweep put the Dodgers just two games back of the Friars for first place, and San Diego now sits just a half-game ahead of the Giants.

For the Dodgers, it marked their seventh win in a row and ninth in their last 10 games. The Dodgers finished the road trip a perfect 6-0, having swept the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks before arriving in San Diego.

As it turns out, the Florida Marlins had suspected the Phillies were guilty of stealing signs long before the Philadelphia bullpen coach was caught gazing through binoculars at Coors Field earlier in the week, which has led to a reprimand from Major League Baseball.

"We've always had our suspicions," said Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez.

This may seem like a strange idea to think of in the land of the free (and the home of the brave), but the wide world of sports in America could be termed as the land of supporting Communism.

Could a country that is based on free market economics and laissez-faire attitude be equated to be the same as the dreaded “reds under the bed"?