* Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu and Royals manager Trey Hillman have been named to Joe Maddon’s bench for the All-Star game, but I’m more interested in this note about the rest of his staff: “Toronto Blue Jays head trainer George Poulis and Oakland Athletics head athletic trainer Steve Sayles will round out the AL staff.”
You’d be hard-pressed to find two trainers who’ve presided over more significant injuries recently than Poulis and Sayles. Apparently Mark Prior’s personal trainer and Jack Kevorkian weren’t available.
* Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a lengthy update on Eric Gagne’s comeback attempt, which currently involves starting games for the Quebec Capitales of the Canadian-American League. Gagne allowed five runs on nine hits and four walks over 4.2 innings in his first outing last week.
* Matt Kemp delivered a walk-off single last night and is now hitting .315/.381/.492 for an .873 OPS that ranks third on the Dodgers behind only Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake ... yet he’s batted seventh or lower in the lineup for three-fourths of his starts.
* Yesterday the Pirates became the latest--and perhaps last--team to realize the dangers of catching fly balls at the Metrodome.