Truth & Rumors > MLB

07:14 AM ET 05.21 | There was a time when any Albert Pujols at-bat was a slice of must-see TV. The thing that's strange -- the thing that's sad -- is how little excitement there is now when he comes to the plate. ... Each of the last two seasons, he hit well enough the last four-plus months of the season to end up with strong numbers. Last year, for instance, after May 14 he hit .312/.374/.589 with 42 doubles and 29 homers. You have to believe that he will start hitting again at some point. But, even assuming he does again find the range, even assuming he has a few more productive years, the truth is that Pujols has entered a different phase of his career. After years of being the best player in baseball, Pujols is now sort of beside the point.

NBCSports.com

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07:13 AM ET 05.21 | Ian Stewart picked up a rare Iowa Cubs start at third base recently with Josh Vitters having reinjured his left quad the day before, but Principal Park was a long way from where he'd like to be. Stewart's wrist is healthy, and he's very thankful the Cubs helped him get the surgery. But he knows he has dropped on the organization's depth chart. Last week in Washington, general manager Jed Hoyer was asked if Stewart still had a future with the Cubs. "I hope there's a future here, but at this point, it's going to be about performance," Hoyer said. ... Is he prepared to spend the entire season in the Minors? "I need to play to get everything figured out, and if I end up staying here the whole year, then it is what it is.

MLB.com

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07:11 AM ET 05.21 | As the draft nears, the jockeying for No. 1 seems to be a two-man race between Oklahoma's Jonathan Gray and Stanford's Mark Appel. AL executive: "I'd take Appel. Appel has a little more secondary stuff. The only factor is you have to look a little deeper into his makeup. Gray is a warrior. I'm not sure on Appel." ... NL executive: "I'd take Gray over Appel. The difference right now is that Appel's delivery is more refined but Gray is a better athlete. ... Appel presently has a better breaking ball, but Gray's has as good or more bite when it's on. Gray has a bigger arm velocity-wise. In the end, I'm going with the guy I think will have better stuff and better makeup, and that's Gray."

Baseball America

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07:14 AM ET 05.20 | Soon it may all be over in L.A. for embattled manager Don Mattingly. Now I'm convinced that Mattingly is going to get fired. ... The Dodgers were swept over their weekend in Atlanta, getting outscored, 16-8. Their bullpen allowed 12 of the runs. And Mattingly's postgame quotes were the equivalent of bad body language. ... [I thought], "Mattingly might be gone tomorrow." And then I got a text from a rival scout, one who has no particular insight into the Dodgers, but is attuned -- like so many in the sport -- to the game's day-to-day rhythms. "Making the call -- Donnie Ballgame will get the axe tomorrow," the scout said. When I asked the scout why he thought that, he replied, "Gut feeling. The way they've been losing."

FOX Sports

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07:13 AM ET 05.20 | For Jurickson Profar, this won't merely be a fill-in role. Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington said Sunday that he will use just-recalled INF [Profar], the club's top prospect, regularly while 2B Ian Kinsler is on the DL. If so, it will mark a big change from 2012 when Profar spent most of his late-season callup watching from the bench. Profar, who arrived in Arlington Sunday afternoon, will make his 2013 debut against Oakland on Monday. Leury Garcia was in the lineup at second base on Sunday. After Profar, 20, was called up last September, he started just five games as the Rangers' started to fade. Washington resisted the efforts of the front office, which suggested Profar play more. This time, he will.

The Dallas Morning News

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