MLB

According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated , the Yankees are not confident that 1B/DH Nick Johnson will return at all this season and that they may look to trade for a replacement.

Johnson went on the DL almost a month ago with an inflamed wrist. The initial diagnosis was that Johnson would miss at least a month and then possibly need surgery to remove inflammation that would be another four to six weeks out. That would put him at an August return if surgery was necessary. It sounds like it may be necessary.

When the Baltimore Orioles fired beleaguered manager Dave Trembley on Friday they hoped to have Juan Samuel turn this underachieving team around.

Simple, isn't it?

Hardly. Firing a manager in the middle of the season isn't necessarily the answer to the team's problems.

In fact, since 2001, only two teams made the postseason after changing skippers during the season.

There are a lot of ways to retire. Ken Griffey Jr. seems to have found a new one. A mobile retirement.

According to Seattle Mariner President Chuck Armstrong, talking on Seattle sports radio station KJR, Griffey's agent, Brian Goldberg, called Armstrong Wednesday afternoon with some news. Junior was retiring, effective immediately.

A few minutes later, according to Armstrong, Griffey himself called to confirm it.

You imagine it went something like this:

'So would you like to do a press conference Junior?'

'Well, I can't, exactly.'

As reigning World Series champs and with another lineup that is dangerous from the captain leading off to the nine hole, the number 28 on manager Joe Girardi's uniform has quickly turned into a target on his back ever since opening day. However, having three starters being on the DL for a couple weeks and being in the middle of what looks to be a four-horse race in the AL East, the Yankees are still in the thick of it because players who may not be front-runners for the All-Star game have stepped up.

Coming into 2010, the Nationals were the worst team in the league for two seasons running, and it was hard to expect much more this year. They are in last place, once again, sitting 6.5 games out in the tightly competitive NL East.

But the standings don't show the progress. Inept GM Jim Bowden was replaced by the more-ept Mike Rizzo, and the team has started to take shape.

This Year Gives Hope

Mets center fielder and DL frequenter Carlos Beltran actually played in a game today .

It was an extended spring training game, but still a game nonetheless. He went 2-for-6 with a pair of singles.

Beltran ran the bases, although he took it easy with the running.

The Mets made a few roster changes today, starting with putting second baseman Luis Castillo on the DL due to a couple of foot injuries. In his place, they called up infielder Ruben Tejada. They also designated struggling outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. for assignment and called up catcher Omir Santos in his place.

The biggest news is probably that they finally released Gary Matthews Jr. He came over from Los Angeles in a trade for Brian Stokes, and talk about disappointing, Matthews has been beyond bad while in Flushing.

"School's out for the summer." Not so fast, Alice Cooper—the Yankees are just getting their first report card of the year.

This list will be how I have graded the Yankee hitters to this point in the season, strictly based on their performance at the plate.

While some Yankees have hit some bombs, others have bombed their first test, and their grades will reflect that.

Here they are: the Yankee Class of 2010.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks are bad.

I mean really bad. 

They are 22nd in team batting average, and dead last in team ERA (thanks in large part to the 7.51 ERA of their less-than-outstanding bullpen).

Recently, even Diamondbacks Managing Partner Ken Kendrick apologized for the squad's lack of productivity. 

The 2010 MLB Draft is just days away. Come Monday night, a new generation of players will see their names called and their journeys to their career ambitions begin.

A year ago, it was then-collegiate pitcher Stephen Strasburg who rocked the draft. This year, it is a position player named Bryce Harper that is gaining all the attention leading up to Monday night's first round.

The MLB Draft is a 50-round affair with players drafted from places you've never heard of.