Kevin Youkilis News

High five costs Rangers' Baker: The Rangers on Tuesday placed utilityman Jeff Baker on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right thumb, five days after an over-exuberant high five from an unidentified teammate.

Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin argues with first base umpire Chris Conroy in the fourth inning of a May 2013 MLB game.

In this June 1, 2013, file photo, New York Yankees' Kevin Youkilis reacts after striking out to end the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor , a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

The Rays pull into Fenway today for a three-games-in-two-days series against the Red Sox for the latest chapter in one of baseball's most heated rivalries.

After a better than expected start, the New York Yankees seem to be coming back down to earth.

The Yankees' on-base plus slugging percentage for the period is a puny .643, 28th in baseball and just .009 better than their MLB-worst crosstown rivals.

Playoff baseball? Even as 98 games remain on the Mets' schedule, and 93 on the Yanks', the postseason appears impossible for both clubs.

A West Coast trip that started well has developed into a skull-scalding nightmare that could signal the beginning of the end to the Yankees' season.

Look around the league and what's striking is the number of good-to-great young players who won't be hitting the market anytime soon, because their teams locked them up to long-term deals before they could get a sniff off free agency.

While you were sleeping, there had been 110 extra inning games played this season through Thursday which, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, puts baseball on pace for a total of 272, which would shatter the previous record of 237 in 2011.

Yankees announced Kevin Youkilis back to DL with lumbar strain, optioned Adam Warren.

Athletics 3, Yankees 2 : Looking at the Yankees side of the box score and noting Robinson Cano 's contributions compared to everyone else's and this comes to mind .

Alex Hassan is learning first base. Everyone in the minor leagues is learning first base.

Andy Pettitte tries to get the New York Yankees back into the win column on Friday when they play the first of three games against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium.

At least Joe Girardi doesn't have to worry about Hiroki Kuroda. He pitched a two-run, two-hit gem over the first eight innings of the 18-inning, 3-2 loss Thursday in Oakland .

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- OK, so Will Middlebrooks hasn't exactly made a smashing return to the Red Sox.

Mark Buehrle made his first visit to U.S. Cellular Field as a member of the other clubhouse on Monday, and so he received the customary video salute in the middle of the first inning: Hawk Harrelson sounded legitimately choked up, but otherwise, since Buehrle won't pitch for Toronto in this series, it minimized the weirdness.

Fans of the Boston Red Sox are still having nightmares of the horrendous 2012 season managed by the disappointing Bobby Valentine.

Will Middlebrooks is back in the lineup Monday night as the Red Sox start an important series against the Rays.