DeRosa got hurt on Tuesday and has been diagnosed with a strained left wrist. He underwent X-rays and was relieved to learn that there wasn’t a broken bone or any other series injury.

Said DeRosa: “It’s the best case scenario. I was back at the hotel last night kind of panicking a little bit.”

The Cardinals are not expected to put him on the disabled list. Instead, DeRosa will probably miss between two and fives games. Returning early next week is the most likely outcome.

Prior to coming to the Cardinals, DeRosa was hitting .270 with 13 homers, 50 RBIs and 47 runs while with the Indians.

Once healthy, DeRosa is expected to return to his role as the everyday third baseman for the Cardinals.

Mark DeRosa - St. Louis Cardinals (Image: Zuma Press)

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His final stat line was nine innings, two hits, no walks and eight strikeouts. His ERA on the season was lowered ton 2.37. In his last eight starts, he has only given up nine earned runs. Lincecum also has three complete games in his last four outings.

The Giants got one run in the top of the first inning. Although that run would have been enough, they tacked on nine more runs for a 10-0 victory. The Giants are now 41-34 and in second place in the NL West. They are 6.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and one game ahead of the Colorado Rockies.

With the loss, the Cardinals dropped to 41-37. They are one game behind he Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

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Rivera is currently second on the all-time saves record list. Only Trevor Hoffman has more. Hoffman, who is currently with the Milwaukee Brewers, has 571 saves.

On the season, Rivera has a 2.93 ERA and has 18 saves in 19 save opportunities. In 30.2 innings, he has 39 strikeouts and only three walks. Even at 39, Rivera appears to be near the top of his game.

Rivera had another milestone on Sunday night. In the top of the ninth inning, Rivera drew a bases loaded walk to pick up the first RBI of his big league career.

Picking up the win for the Yankees was Chien-Ming Wang. In 5.1 innings, he gave up only two earned runs. The native of Taiwan has struggled mightily this season. The win improved his record to 1-6 and lowered his ERA to 10.06.

For the Mets, this is their third straight loss and they now stand at 37-37 on the season.

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Burnett on the season now has a 3.93 ERA to go along with a record of 6-4. Although he got off to a relatively slow start, Burnett has gotten better and better. In his last three starts, the 32-year-old has given up one earned run in more than 20 innings.

The Yankees got a Nick Swisher solo shot in the third inning to get on the board. In the sixth, Alex Rodriguez had an RBI single and then Jorge Posada smashed a three-run homer later in the inning.

The win gives the Yankees a 42-32 record on the season. The Mets fell to 37-36 with the loss.

AJ Burnett - New York Yankees (Image: Zuma Press)

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Ponson, who pitched for the Netherlands in the 2009 WBC, says that he was prescribed Phentermine to lose weight. Major League Baseball won’t suspend him.

On the season, Ponson has pitched like he needs performance enhancer. The 32-year-old from Aruba is 1-5 with a 7.27 ERA. Last year, while splitting time between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees, Ponson was 8-5 with a 5.04 ERA.

Ponson isn’t the first big league player to have busted at the WBC. Recently, Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto tested positive for marijuana. Soto played in the WBC for Puerto Rico. Since the positive drug test, Soto has apologized. Like Ponson, Soto won’t be suspended by the MLB.

Sidney Ponson - WBC Netherlands (Image: Zuma Press)

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After a bitter breakup with the Braves, the 42-year-old Smoltz ended up signing with the Red Sox as a free agent. Coming back from a shoulder injury, Smoltz has been working all offseason and all regular season to get to this point.

Said Smoltz: “This is not the old or the new or the done. It’s just a new chapter in which when I have a baseball in my hand, I feel like I can make a pitch and do the things I have to do to take the sting out of the bat. And if that’s the case, we’ll progress and keep getting better every time out. But tomorrow is just one rung in the ladder to try and climb as far as I can to see how good I can be, and really at the end of the day to be in position to pitch in the playoffs.”

The playoffs look like a very good possibility for the Red Sox right now. With a record of 44-27, Boston has a five games lead in the AL East over both the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Smoltz believes that his return to the mound will leave Red Sox fans happy.

“It will be a success,” proclaimed Smoltz.

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In a recent interview, Matsuzaka didn’t exactly stomp out the rumors of him being done for the season.

“If I keep going like this I’m just going to be a burden to this team,” said Matsuzaka to the Boston Herald, “and there’s no way I can keep going like that.”

Currently, Matsuzaka is on the disabled list with weakness in his pitching shoulder. Hisstruggles this season can be traced back to the World Baseball Classic, according to manager Terry Francona.

Matsuzaka’s struggles are apparent in his stats. He has a 8.23 ERA with a 1-5 record. Last season, the native of Tokyo pitched great for the Red Sox — finishing with a record of 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA.

Keep a close eye on Matsuzaka’s injury status. He’ll be shut down for at least a while, however if he struggles when he tries to come back, don’t be surprised if his season is over.

Daisuke Matsuzaka - Out for the Season (Image: Zuma Press)

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Prior to his return, Lidge will make one final minor league appearance. Reports have him being activated on either Wednesday or Friday.

Last season, Lidge was amazing. He had 48 save opportunities and converted on all 48. This season, Lidge hasn’t been nearly as dominant.

In 28 games, the 6-foot-5 reliever has a 7.27 ERA and has allowed 33 hits and 14 walks in 26 innings of work. He’s also allowed seven homers and has blow six of his 19 save opportunities. His record on the season stands at 0-3.

Even though the Phillies are in first place in the NL East, they need Lidge to return to form if they have any hope of winning back-to-back World Series championships.

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Howard went to the hospital on Friday night after complaining of flu-like symptoms. He reportedly was suffering from a fever of 104 degrees. In the early morning hours, he was released from the hospital.

On Saturday night, the Philadelphia Phillies go up against the Baltimore Orioles. Unless there is a miracle, Howard is set to miss the game.

Last year, Howard played all 162 games as the Phillies went on to win the 2008 World Series championship. He hasn’t missed a game since May of 2007.

On the season, Howard is hitting .254 with 19 homers, 51 RBIs and 42 runs. He also has 16 doubles and an on-base percentage of .330.

If Howard can’t play, Greg Dobbs will get the start at first base in place of Howard.

Ryan Howard - Philadelphia Phillies (Image: Zuma Press)

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It’s already been a very tumultuous year for Rodriguez. Earlier in the year, he admitted to past steroid use. Rodriguez also underwent offseason hip surgery that forced him to miss the beginning of the 2009 baseball campaign.

So far this season, A-Rod isn’t hitting as well as usual. His batting average sits at .212 and he has nine homers, 26 RBIs and 18 runs. The 33-year-old hasn’t hit under .285 since 1995.

The Yankees insist that Rodriguez is simply tired and that this isn’t related to his offseason hip surgery. Whatever the case, his recent numbers have been extremely sub par. In June, he’s hitting just .145 — and he doesn’t have a hit in his last 15 at-bats.

Alex Rodriguez isn't happy about the benching (Image: Zuma Press)

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