Author: Unknown

Phillies second baseman Chase Utley will require surgery to repair his injured thumb, according to MLB Network’s Peter Gammons.

Philadelphia could be without Utley for 5-6 weeks.

Utley, the leading vote-getter at second base for this year’s N.L. All-Star team, is hitting .277 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs. He suffered the injury June 28, hasn’t played since and was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday.

The Phillies also are awaiting an update on the condition of third baseman Placido Polanco (elbow). Polanco, the N.L.’s leading vote-getter at third base, is scheduled to visit a specialist today. He is hitting .318 with five homers and 27 RBIs and also was placed on the disabled list Wednesday.

He’s known simply as The Man.

Stan Musial is on the short list of the best players ever to wear a major league uniform, a Hall of Famer who was as quick with his bat as he was with a smile for the fans at Busch Stadium during the 22 seasons he wore a Cardinals uniform.

The Cardinals are leading a movement to have President Obama award Musial the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian honor a president can bestow. He’s certainly a deserving recipient for his contributions to the country on and off the field. Click here for information on the"Stand for Stan" campaign.

And now, Sporting News readers have an opportunity to ask Stan Musial a question. Anything you’ve ever wanted to know about his career, his teammates, his thoughts on baseball’s evolution, the special bond he shares with current Cardinals legend Albert Pujols or anything else you’d like to know. This baseball legend—our baseball legend—will be featured on the 5 Questions page of an upcoming issue of Sporting News magazine.

As you know, only five questions will make the cut. So be insightful, be nuanced and be thought-provoking with your inquiries. Send your questions to Ryan Fagan (rfagan@sportingnews.com) or Ken Bradley (kbradley@sportingews.com).

Sporting News Audio is a weekly series of conversations with Sporting News experts during the MLB season. In this installment, Chris Bahr talks about the MLB All-Star Game and which players he expects to get the call this year.

The Rangers have acquired catcher Bengie Molina and cash from the Giants for reliever Chris Ray and a player to be named, according to multiple media reports.

The deal is subject to approval by the commissioner’s office, which is assisting the for-sale Rangers financially. The San Jose Mercury News reports San Francisco will pay the Rangers $2 million to offset the difference in Molina’s and Ray’s prorated salaries. Molina is due to make about $2.5 million the rest of this season.

Molina was notified of the trade Wednesday night after the Giants arrived in Denver for a series with the Rockies, but he will remain with San Francisco until the deal becomes official. The Rangers will be in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday to play the Angels.

"The commissioner has to approve something on the deal. So they, (manager Bruce) Bochy, told me, be aware, and if I don’t hear anything by the time of (today’s) game, go to the field," Molina told the Mercury News.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels would not confirm the trade Wednesday night, telling reporters he had "nothing to report at this time."

Texas has been seeking an upgrade at catcher for some time. They reportedly tried to obtain A.J. Pierzynski from the White Sox last month. The Giants, meanwhile, have rookie Buster Posey ready to succeed Molina behind the plate.

FoxSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi was first to report that a deal was close. USA Today was first to report the deal had been completed.

Diamondbacks right-hander Dan Haren tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he wouldn’t mind returning to the Cardinals in a trade, but he adds he isn’t asking out of Arizona.

"I’ve always said I’d like to play here again," Haren tells the P-D’s Rick Hummel. "It’s not a situation where I’m asking to be traded. … I’m sure it will get crazy come July 31." The Diamondbacks completed a three-game series in St. Louis on Wednesday. Haren pitched eight innings in the middle game Tuesday.

St. Louis traded Haren to the A’s in 2004 as part of the Mark Mulder deal, and Oakland flipped him to Arizona three years later. Now Haren is a valuable trade chip for the Diamondbacks, and the Redbirds are among the teams reportedly expressing interest.

A deal likely would be costly in terms of prospects, and certainly expensive in terms of salary. Haren is making $8.5 million this season and is due $25.5 million over the next two years. His contract also includes a $15.5 million club option for 2013. The pact does not include a no-trade clause.

The New York Daily News reports Mariners left-hander Cliff Lee is the Mets’ No. 1 trade target a month before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline, with Astros righty Roy Oswalt their Plan B.

The Mets scouted Lee’s complete-game victory over the Yankees on Tuesday and are considered a favorite in the Lee sweepstakes. The Mariners have yet to make Lee available, however, and it’s not clear whether the Mets can meet the demands of Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik.

Oswalt is considered far more available, but the cost of top prospects and the $25 million or so remaining on his contract may be prohibitive, the News reports.

The News adds that the Mets are not interested in mid-level starters such as Kevin Millwood and Jake Westbrook.

Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. told the Baltimore Sun that talks about him possibly serving in an advisory and secondary role with the team are "progressing nicely."

Ripken has been speaking and meeting with Orioles owner Peter Angelos and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, though he isn’t certain if a deal will be in place by the start of the 2011 season.

Despite injuries to a handful of key players — second baseman Dustin Pedroia, catcher Victor Martinez, right-hander Josh Beckett and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Jeremy Hermida are on the disabled list — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein told The Boston Globe the team won’t panic as the nonwaiver trading deadline nears.

"You have to keep relying on players who might not be household names to most of our fans, but are here for a reason and continue to find ways to win. … We’ve thrived on getting contributions from unlikely sources," Epstein said. "We’re going to see how this group plays and how the guys who are getting opportunities with the injuries fill in, see how they do the job before we do anything else."
 

The Phillies got a double dose of bad news today, as they were forced to put second baseman Chase Utley (thumb) and third baseman Placido Polanco (elbow) on the 15-day disabled list.

According to the team’s website, there is no timetable for either player’s return. Utley’s injury was diagnosed as a sprain, but Polanco hinted that he might need surgery on his elbow after the season.

Utley is hitting .277 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs this season, but he has only one homer this month. Polanco, who already spent time on the disabled list this season because of the elbow, is batting .318 with five homers and 27 RBIs.