MLB

The Mets are not a healthy group right now. The team struggles to keep a group of nine guys together for more than a couple of days, as the list of injured players continues to grow.

In the last 24 hours, we have had three more additions to the injury report. Ryan Church’s hamstring, JJ Putz’s neck, and Carlos Beltran’s knee have become the latest concerns. Church and Beltran are likely day-to-day, but Putz is out indefinitely.

When Pat Burrell left the Phillies for the Rays, I thought we were in trouble. Get rid of the right batting Burrell to had the left batting Ibanez? I didn't understand considering Burrell was an above average fielder and his bat was always a great addition—when he wanted to hit.

"Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way"

For those members of Red Sox Nation who are familiar with the writings of Thomas Paine, the American writer and political pamphleteer, there is no shortage of quotes, which describe the "Common Sense" way that Jason Varitek has embarked on this season.

The Captain is in the midst of silencing the critics, who were ready to bury Varitek  after last season's miserable campaign. He batted only .220 with 13 homers and 43 runs batted in last season, by far the worst of his career.

Toronto Blue Jays' manager Clarence "Cito" Gaston was familiar with the situation. In the eighth inning of a scoreless game at Atlanta, the Blue Jays had Scott Rolen on second base and one out.

Rod Barajas was the batter, with pitcher Roy Halladay on deck. Through seven innings, Halladay had faced 26 batters, making 95 pitches.

No Designated Hitter

Games hosted by National League teams do not use the designated hitter rule.

Theo Epstein, the architect and GM of two World Championships, has been a master at his craft.

He has built the Boston Red Sox through the farm system and some of the gutsiest trades in Sox history.

But, he has shown flaws under his reign and the most glaring has been his free agent signings.

Epstein has had gems like David Ortiz, Mike Timlin and Bill Mueller.

Yet, he's whiffed on most of his signings.

Here is a look at the Top 10 worst free agent signings under his helm.

(Author's note:  This is the first in a series of articles designed to educate the younger readers about some of the greats from years gone by.)

Jack Chesbro does not hold the Major League record for wins in a season, as most people believe. In fact, he doesn’t appear in the Top 10. He does own the record beginning with the Dead ball era which started in the year 1900.  In 1904 Chesbro won 41 games for the New York Highlanders (an ancestor of the Yankees).

During the offseason, the Texas Rangers announced the club was moving All-Star shortstop Michael Young over to third base. The move was quickly criticized by experts, and a shocked Rangers clubhouse had to deal with a week of trade demands from the heart and soul of the team.

As Spring Training approached, the Rangers brought in future Hall of Famer Omar Vizquel to reassure an always-panicked fan base. The original plan had to be modified, as the idea of 20-year-old Elvis Andrus, who hadn't played above AA, starting at short for the Rangers was a little too much.

Success on the baseball diamond has its own timetable.

Witness Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire's occasional on-again, off-again experiment batting Joe Mauer in the two-hole.

The recent move has kick-started the Twins' offense, enabling them to halt a six-game slide that had many of the players questioning their choice of profession.

The Twins produced a 20-1 victory Thursday against the Chicago White Sox. Mauer, hitting second in the batting order for the first time this season, contributed a pair of doubles and a grand slam for six RBI.

Brandon Inge spent most of season last year changing positions and waiting for a trade. Following the blockbuster deal that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit after the 2007 season, and the move to bring Edgar Renteria to Detroit, the 2008 Tigers infield was set. Carlos Guillen was shifting from shortstop to first base, Cabrera was to be the everyday third baseman. That left the slick-fielding Inge, who had been the team's third baseman, as a man without a position.