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11:14 AM
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Tonight will be the much anticipated debut of Joba Chamberlain, The re-emergence of the Pedro Factor in New York and Dontrelle Willis will try to get the Tigers rolling in Oakland. Ken Griffey Jr. will go for 600 in Philadelphia, and the Giants will send Barry Zito to the mound to get win number 9 out of the last 13 games for San Fransisco. But now, lets go Around the Diamond, checking in on the latest news around the Major Leagues.

Top Stories:

• Red Sox slugger David Ortiz could be facing season ending surgery to repair a partially torn tendon sheeth in his wrist. Ortiz will at least be out a month to heal the wrist. Two weeks will be spent with the wrist in a cast, and then a rehab assignment will follow. Manager Terry Francona says that surgery is most likely not needed. Ortiz leads the team in HRs and RBIs. Kenny Lofton, Barry Bonds, Richie Sexson, or any aging Giant could be an option for the Red Sox. For now, Sean Casey will most likely fill in at DH.

• Joba Chamberlain will make his debut for the Yankees against Roy Holliday and the Toronto Blue Jays tonight. Kyle Farnsworth will fill in as the setup man, which could be quite scary. Farnsworth has given up six runs in his last six appearances. I think the Yankees will be hunting for a cheap fix in the pen.
  

• Bill Hall of the Milwaukee Brewers wants out, his agent told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt. Hall is upset with the shared playing time between himself and Russell Branyan. Though Hall is a super utility type player, there wont be much interest in him. Possibly the Orioles for the right price, or some other team that is still in it but weak at shortstop. Possibly the Rays and Brewers could hook up again. The Rays are in need of a decent slugging shortstop. Hall hit 35 HRs in 2006.

Other News Around the League:

• Hal McCoy, long time beat writer for the Cincinnati Reds, talks about how the Reds cannot win on the road. 9-20 on the road isn't a great number, but still it doesn't seem to be the end of the world. This team was built for their home stadium, with a bunch of home run slugging, free-swingers. In other Reds news, Adam Dunn is extremely upset with Reds fans lack of interest in Ken Griffey's 600 chase. Reds fans didn't sell out Great American Ballpark on Sunday. It is sad to see Cincinnati's son be forgotten about and good for Adam Dunn. Way to stand up for your teammate. Now, if you could go up to the plate and not strike out, Reds fans would be happy.

• Sam Mellinger comments on Trey Hillman's current downfall in Kansas City. Hillman's National League style was working to begin the season, and still might be, but pitching and hitting have both slumped at the same time. GM Dayton Moore still believes that Trey Hillman is the right man for the job. So do I. Come on, give this guy a break. He is going to need time to develop his roster. He has a lot of young talent that he is depending on, and it will take a good couple years to harness it.
  

• Are Ozzie Guillen's latest comments the last string in Chicago? Unlike most, I think not. Guillen, yet again has pulled off a genius move. With a lack of offense really being the case, the best way to get a proven hitter is to rattle your GM into thinking that his assembled roster isn't good enough yet. Though Kenny Williams took slight offense to his bellyaching, He will probably respond with yet another mid season deal for offense. This is why I love Ozzie Guillen. He is a thinker (or maybe not).