Opinion

For a while at least, Matt LaPorta is back playing for the Cleveland Indians.

He was called up from Columbus when Johnny Damon went on paternity leave. So the question is: will LaPorta stay with the team when Damon returns?  With the team struggling against left-handed pitchers, wouldn't his bat be a big help in the lineup?

Day 2 of the 2012 MLB draft is in the books, as teams turned their attention to high-risk, high-reward high schoolers as well as sure-sign, high-floor college players.

Signability is a frequently talked-about issue in this part of the draft, as there were a handful of players who were expected to be taken in the first round and fell. Now, given the new CBA, those players won't get the big-time bonuses to convince them to sign, and more of them will likely be heading to college.

It certainly gets hot in the desert. Right now, things are starting to boil over.

Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick was featured on Prostopreps.com via telephone interview with Brad Cesmat on Monday. In the interview, he questioned Stephen Drew’s commitment to returning to the field this season and referred to All-Star outfielder Justin Upton as an “enigma.”

Heading into the series with the Rays, it was important for the Yankees to show they can hang with them because chances are, the Rays are going to be a potential playoff contender come October.

Andy Pettitte pitched on Tuesday night for the Yankees like he was in October form.

In the sporting world, we often exaggerate ultimately meaningless moments with lofty words like "redemption."

The Boston Celtics win back-to-back games at home to tie the Eastern Conference Finals? That's not redemption. Albert Pujols smashes a home run to break out of a slump? That's not redemption. Tiger Woods wins the 2012 Memorial Championship after months of struggling? That's not redemption.

For every Alex Rodriguez, there is a Matt Bush. For every David Price, there is a Bryan Bullington.

We won't know if the Houston Astros' No. 1 overall pick, Carlos Correa will be an A-Rod or Bush, but we do know what kind of abilities he has at the dish and in the field.

Here we will asses his skill set and evaluate his chances to, one day, become an MLB star.

Correa as a Hitter

After a miserable April in which he batted .217/.265/.304 with no home runs and four RBI, Albert Pujols rebounded in May, looking more like the hitter we've been accustomed to seeing in his previous 11 major league seasons.

Don't pity Cubs manager Dale Sveum. He has one of only 32 major league managing jobs in the world and earns millions of dollars. Plus, he knew what he was getting into when he accepted the position.

Kevin Youkilis is a hometown boy—born and raised in Cincinnati and a product of the University of Cincinnati. What a story it makes for the hometown boy to make good on his hometown team. But, unfortunately for Youk, the Cincinnati Reds don't need him, nor should they pursue him.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been rumored by CBS Sports to be very interested in acquiring Kevin Youkilis.