Truth & Rumors > MLB

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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07:12 AM ET 05.20 | Roy Oswalt may be up to a month away from a legitimate consideration in the Rockies' rotation, but his showing Saturday suggested much progress. Pitching against a team of Brewers prospects, Oswalt gave up one hit -- a first-inning leadoff bunt single -- and struck out nine with no walks in five innings. It was his third start in extended spring in Arizona. The next move for Oswalt, 35, who signed with the Rockies on May 3, is to Double-A Tulsa. He will make his first start for the Drillers on Friday at Arkansas and will be limited to 75 pitches. Bill Geivett, the Rockies' senior vice president of Major League operations, said Oswalt would need four or five starts before he is evaluated for a possible spot in the rotation.

MLB.com

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07:11 AM ET 05.20 | In Pittsburgh, Andrew McCutchen had started 42 of the club's first 43 games -- until this weekend. The Pirates removed [McCutchen] from the lineup Sunday because of pain in his right knee. McCutchen approached the Pirates' coaching staff after taking batting practice Sunday morning to inform them of the discomfort. "[He] had right knee soreness and he wasn't comfortable," manager Clint Hurdle said. McCutchen said he thought the pain originated Thursday when he slid into home plate against the Milwaukee Brewers. ... Hurdle said the Pirates' medical staff checked McCutchen's knee and "he felt better about the situation." "Just wanted to make sure everything was OK," McCutchen said.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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