MLB News Blog

The New York Mets were close Monday to reaching agreement with right-hander Brian Lawrence on a minor league contract. The deal was pending a physical, according to a baseball official with knowledge of the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because it wasn’t yet complete. A contract could be finalized by Wednesday.
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The Washington Nationals will purchase the contract of right-hander Jason Simontacchi from Triple-A Columbus and start him against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, the team announced. Simontacchi is 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA in two starts with Columbus. The 33-year-old Simontacchi played with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2002 to 2004, going 20-10 with a [...]

Brad Penny struck out a career-high 14 and allowed only five baserunners in seven shutout innings, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Florida Marlins 6-1 on Monday night. Penny (4-0) walked none and gave up five hits, including two infield singles, and lowered his ERA to 1.39. Following no-decisions in his past three starts, [...]

COLUMBUS, OH - Despite getting off to a slow start at the plate, the Columbus Clippers got an outstanding performance from starting pitcher Felix Diaz, who held the Toledo bats in check all afternoon. Diaz combined with three relief pitchers to shutout Toledo while giving up only two hits.
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Adrian Beltre hit a tiebreaking homer off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning and the Seattle Mariners took advantage of a blown call to beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on Monday night. A late rally gave Seattle a four-game split at Yankee Stadium and cost Matt DeSalvo a win in an impressive major league [...]

Travis Hafner has done plenty of damage on the road this season, while Vladimir Guerrero has done most of his at home.
The two sluggers will look to continue their success Tuesday night when Hafner and the Cleveland Indians start a three-game series against Guerrero and the Los Angeles Angels in a matchup of division leaders [...]

A catcher in the Houston Astros’ minor league system was suspended Monday for 50 games by the commissioner’s office after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Louis Santangelo was hitting .236 with three RBIs at Double-A Corpus Christi. He’s 24, and was chosen in the fourth round of the 2004 draft out of Clemson.
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Still buzzing about landing Roger Clemens, the New York Yankees shipped struggling pitcher Kei Igawa to the minors on Monday and had a key reliever and their manager suspended on a busy afternoon in the Bronx. Right-hander Scott Proctor was suspended four games and Joe Torre was penalized one game by the commissioner’s office, a [...]

Houston Astros minor leaguer catcher Louis Santangelo on Monday was suspended 50 games for using a performance enhancing substance in violation of the minor league drug prevention and treatment program.
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Major League Baseball on Monday suspended Pittsburgh Pirates righthanded reliever Matt Capps for four games and fined him an undisclosed amount for intentionally hitting Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder during Saturday’s game.
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