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After about half of a day of uncertainty—no thanks to Hall of Fame writer Peter Gammons—the Robinson Cano performance-enhancing drug rumors can be put to bed as false.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today broke the news yesterday that a MLB official denied such rumors:

A Major League Baseball official with knowledge of the league’s drug testing confirmed that New York Yankees All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano did not test positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

This is no doubt great news for the sport, and more specifically the Yankees and their fans. Losing Cano would have been a huge blow to the team’s playoff hopes, and the league would’ve had to deal with another PED black eye had one of its best players tested positive.

But thankfully, all that will be avoided.

However, one can’t help but be taken aback by the lack of care that was taken in reporting such rumors about Cano.

The first guilty party in this whole mess is sports reporter Dan Tordjman of Eyewitness News in Charlotte, NC, who originally tweeted the untrue rumor about Cano’s positive PED test. His account has now become protected, but Zach Stoloff of NESN.com shared the original tweet with us in a piece he wrote.

It’s one thing for some unknown sports reporter to totally botch sharing a piece of information he may or may not have had, but it’s another thing for a Hall of Fame baseball writer and analyst like Peter Gammons to take the unconfirmed information and run with it.

Gammons shared what he knew about the Cano rumors in a radio interview which can be heard on CSNNE.com:

“I heard something . . . about three weeks ago,” the veteran baseball reporter and analyst said Thursday on ‘Felger & Mazz’ on WBZ-FM (98.5 The Sports Hub). “And, like a lot of things, I’ve . . . never gotten any confirmation.”

Gammons then went on to doubt the rumors:

“I’m not sold on the Cano thing yet,” Gammons said. “Especially since most of the time, Scott Boras clients are very careful…”

But just when you think Gammons saved some shred of credibility for himself in this matter, he then goes on to compare it to the Melky Cabrera situation, giving the Cano rumor legs once again:

Now, people are very careful about letting any information out . . . [But] these things do circulate. The one that did turn out to be true — but, again, I could never get confirmation [even though] I was told by about six sources for five weeks — was Melky Cabrera (of the Giants, who was suspended for PED use last month).”

Gammons should have been more responsible in the way he handled this situation.

Without anything being confirmed to him, Gammons piled on top of what was a story started by a two-bit sports reporter from North Carolina. Instead of shooting the rumors down as nothing more than just that, Gammons added legitimacy to the controversy by stoking the flames with what he said he heard.

But in fact, it wasn’t reliable information at all and the only reason it was slightly more credible than that of Tordjman’s is because Gammons is well known and well respected around the sport.

Gammons should know better that the things he says, whether he confirms the information or not, are taken as gold by the majority of the baseball world. He has developed a long-standing trust over the years in the MLB, so naturally people trust Gammons when he speaks.

With that being said, Gammons should have chosen his words more carefully and not added legitimacy to what was otherwise an unconfirmed and false report.

After this mess, the respect for Gammons and the job he does could very well change. Or at the very least, it could certainly change with Yankee fans around the globe.

Gammons is a Boston native and a former Boston Red Sox writer from The Boston Globe, so naturally that connection will be made over and over again. It is a legit connection, however, and could explain why Gammons handled this situation so poorly.

I would be interested to see if Gammons would be so quick to spew unconfirmed information out if it was about his hometown Red Sox and their best player.

In the digital age we live in now, new information is always coming out incredibly fast, but hard news journalists must be careful before taking the lid off a story before it is confirmed.

It’s not surprising that a hack like Tordjman screwed up badly, but it is a sad day in the world of sports journalism when a professional and baseball insider the likes of Peter Gammons adds fuel to that screw up by speculating on a rumor he doesn’t even know is true.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have seen their season go from promising to disappointing rather quickly, and now things are about to get worse.

UPDATE: Saturday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

2011 National League Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw will seek another opinion regarding his injured hip, according to the Los Angeles Dodgers official Twitter feed:

Clayton Kershaw will miss his scheduled start tomorrow and will see a hip specialist in New York on Tuesday. Stephen Fife will get the call.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 15, 2012

This is bad news for a Dodgers team that has lost seven of their last 10 games. Kershaw’s injury leaves them without an ace and makes their bid for an NL wild card spot more difficult.

Stay tuned for more information.

—End of Update—

UPDATE: Saturday, Sept. 15 at 6:09 p.m. ET by Richard Langford

Clayton Kershaw is reportedly not going to make his next start. 

The LA Times’ Dylan Hernandez passed along the news. 

Kershaw will not pitch tomorrow. Fife starting in his place.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) September 15, 2012

This is obviously a big blow for the Dodgers, but at least the news is only attached to one start. It certainly could be worse, and it still might be. Hernandez also added this: 

If there’s any possibility of Kershaw further damaging his hip, he won’t pitch again. “I promise you that,” Mattingly said.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) September 15, 2012

So it looks like the ol’ wait-and-see approach—mixed in, of course, with a whole lot of hoping for a speedy recovery. 

—End of update—

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com is reporting that Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw could miss his next start on Sunday, thanks to a pain in his right hip, an injury that got worse after his last start against the Arizona Diamondbacks:

In the aftermath, his hip was inflamed enough that he scrubbed a scheduled Thursday bullpen session. On Friday, he tried to play catch with trainer Sue Falsone watching, but shut down after a couple tosses and retreated to the trainer’s room. He missed batting practice for the starting pitchers and didn’t shag in the outfield.

The injury first hit Kershaw earlier in the week, and his scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday had to be pushed back as a result.

But now, it appears to be a lingering injury for the 24-year-old, a fact that is scary for Los Angeles, to say the least.

Kershaw is by far the team’s best pitcher, posting a 12-9 record with an ERA of 2.70. His ERA is good for third in Major League Baseball, and he is also the team leader in wins and strikeouts.

The Dodgers already have a boatload of issues to deal with, including falling out of contention in the National League West, entering Friday 7.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants.

However, Los Angeles is still very much in the hunt for the NL wild card, as the Dodgers sat just two games back of a playoff spot when the sun rose on Friday. Still, their current playoff positioning is a far cry from where fans thought they would be after making a blockbuster deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Beyond Kershaw, the Dodgers don’t have much to work with in their rotation. Sure, they are solid up and down, but nobody can make the kind of impact and give the team consistency that Kershaw does every fifth day.

Kershaw missing one crucial start during the month of September could be the difference in the Dodgers missing or making the playoffs. But, if Kershaw is out for an extended period of time or is ineffective while potentially playing hurt, that could very well spell the end of the Dodgers’ season.

Check this article periodically for all the latest updates on the Dodgers’ ace.

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Roger Clemens took to the mound for the second time since his comeback at the age of 50, and once again he looked good.

For the now infamous Sugar Land Skeeters, Clemens went 4.2 innings without allowing a single run on two hits with one strikeout. Clemens only surrendered one hit in both the second and fourth innings while he remained perfect the rest the time he was on the mound.

In his latest start, Clemens also had the chance to pitch to his own son Koby, who was behind the plate for the entirety of the Rocket’s outing. Clemens got the first two outs in the fifth inning before hugging his son and exiting the game.

You know a baseball player is up there in years when his own son is catching him and it isn’t for Little League practice.

This start is an improvement for Clemens, who was impressive in his comeback debut when he threw 3.1 scoreless innings. It seems that the Rocket is progressing quite nicely and can still handle himself on the mound.

So is the Rocket preparing for a comeback to MLB?

There’s no doubt the Houston Astros would love to have him on their team. Clemens might not bring a ton of positive press, but he does bring a ton of press. Along with all the media attention the lowly Astros would receive, they could also put some butts in the seats for at least one game.

In Houston, it’s becoming harder and harder to do just that.

Clemens has tried everything he can to shoot down the idea that he wants to return to the bigs, and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter) confirmed that.

Roger Clemens in a press conf before side session with Sugar Land about pitching in MLB in 2012: “I don’t see it happening.”

— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) September 4, 2012

The Rocket is set to be on the Hall of Fame ballot this season, and with the doubts about the validity of his career thanks to suspicions of performance-enhancing drug use, getting into Cooperstown might be impossible.

It’s quite possible that Clemens is hoping to make at least one appearance in the majors this season to push that back and give some more time to allow baseball writers to cool off.

It’s doubtful that thought process would work, but at least Clemens can separate himself from some of the other accused PED users who will be on the ballot for the first time.

Chances are, he may never get in thanks to his alleged use of PEDs, but nobody can take away the fact that a comeback for Clemens at the age of 50 is nothing short of remarkable.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks are on the brink of trading starting pitcher Joe Saunders.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal broke the news via Twitter:

Source: #Diamondbacks on verge of trading Saunders. Destination unknown at this time.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 26, 2012

The team bringing Saunders in is not yet known, but Rosenthal had reported earlier this week that the Baltimore Orioles were a team interested in the left-hander’s services after he was placed on waivers, so don’t be surprised if that’s Saunders’ new destination.

Saunders hasn’t lived up to expectations in 2012, especially pitching in a weak offensive division like the National League West. In his last start for Arizona, Saunders got rocked for nine runs on 12 hits in only 3.2 innings.

The 31-year-old is 6-10 for Arizona, sporting a 4.22 ERA in his second full season with the team. He was brought over in a trade from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2010 season.

While with the Angels, Saunders had his best season in 2008 when he went 17-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 31 starts. Since then, Saunders has only had one other season with an ERA under four and that was last year when he posted a 12-13 record with an ERA of 3.69 for the division-winning Diamondbacks.

It won’t get any easier for Saunders, however.

No matter which division he goes to, none will be a more pitcher-friendly one than the division in which he currently resides. Whichever team is pulling the trigger for Saunders is taking a pretty big chance.

Saunders will be a free agent at season’s end.

At the moment, Arizona is 64-63 which leaves them seven games out of the NL West lead and 5.5 games out of the wild card. There is still hope for the Diamondbacks season to be a success, but it looks like Saunders will no longer be helping that cause.

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It didn’t take long for the newest Los Angeles Dodger to make his mark on the team as Adrian Gonzalez‘s debut was a success.

Earlier in the day, ESPNLosAngeles.com writer Mark Saxon reported that the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox had reached a deal that sent Gonzo back to the West Coast. Before coming to Boston, Gonzalez spent four years with the San Diego Padres.

In his first at-bat as a Dodger, Gonzalez launched a three-run homer over the fence against Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson.

Gonzo immediately showed how much he can help his new ballclub, but that would be the end of Gonzalez’s contributions for the night.

The Dodgers first baseman failed to reach base in his next four plate appearances; two ended in a strikeout, one in a groundout to first base and the last resulted in a pop-out to shortstop.

Still, despite only getting one hit, that three-run bomb off the bat of Gonzalez proved to be all the runs the Dodgers would need to beat the Marlins, 8-2.

Coming into the game against Florida, Los Angeles’ offense hasn’t been all that impressive this season, despite adding Hanley Ramirez’s bat to the lineup.

The Dodgers were ranked 25th in the MLB in runs scored and even worse in the home run department, ranking 29th in the league. That should change quickly, however, as L.A. will sport one of the most dangerous 1-2 punches in baseball with Kemp hitting in front of Gonzalez.

Clearly, Gonzalez’s bat will be a huge boost for this squad. Gonzo came in hitting around the .300 mark with 16 homers and 89 RBI. By comparison, the Dodgers’ top home run guy was Matt Kemp with 17, and their top RBI man, Andre Ethier, had driven in 74 runs with a team-leading average of .284.

Upon entering the Dodgers’ locker room, Gonzalez’s full season numbers make him the team leader in all of those categories, which is also thanks in part to his debut home run against the Marlins.

There was no doubt the Dodgers had the pitching depth to make a successful stretch run to the postseason, but with the addition of Gonzalez, now Los Angeles has more than enough offense to surpass their division rivals and take the National League West.

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Roger Clemens‘ first outing since once again coming back from retirement was a success, and it’s just a matter of time before Rocket ends up back in the majors before the season ends.

At age 50 and on the mound for the first time in five years, Clemens looked like he didn’t miss a beat.

The Rocket went 3.1 innings without allowing a single run or walk while surrendering only one hit and striking out two. He did all that in just 37 pitches.

According to ESPN.com staff, scouts from the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals were on hand to watch Clemens pitch. Clearly there is some interest in the 50-year-old from big league teams.

Here’s why Clemens will be back in the majors before the season’s end.

Publicity For Bad Teams

Say what you want about Clemens and his many issues on and off the field, he still brings a boatload of cameras and media attention wherever he goes.

That being said, there are several perennial basement-dwellers who would love to attract some extra attention to their team down the stretch run of the MLB season.

It might come with a price, but that price will help bring in extra money from ticket sales that will help sell out normally empty stadiums. And maybe, just maybe, it could result in more national games for teams that usually have no shot at such a distinction.

As evidenced by the interest being shown from the Astros and Royals, some of the bad teams around baseball are thinking the exact same thing. After all, why else would they scout the Rocket?

Extra Arm For Competing Team

Don’t think for a second there aren’t more competitive, playoff-bound teams watching Clemens’ comeback attempt. They might be watching from afar at first, but the more realistic Rocket’s comeback chances are, the more interest good teams will show.

Pitching is always at a premium, and it’s clear as an MLB team that you can never have enough. So if a ballclub knows they have a shot at bringing in a solid pitcher—and Clemens can prove to be that—they won’t hesitate to sign the Rocket.

It isn’t known just how many innings Rocket has left in that old arm, but it’s not like he has to pitch an entire season. At best, he might make two regular-season starts before the playoffs begin, and that should be enough to make him ready for postseason play.

He might not be the pitcher he once was, but Rocket’s experience could go a long way in shoring up a playoff rotation or as an insurance policy for a top team.

Hall of Fame Ballot

Rocket is set to be on the Hall of Fame ballot this year, but all that could be stopped if Clemens pitches in one major league game this season. In my opinion, that is his ultimate goal.

Clemens doesn’t have much left to prove, and while we’re all impressed that he can still pitch at age 50, that doesn’t change the fact that there will always be suspicions about his career overall.

Maybe the Rocket would like to push his Hall of Fame attempt back another five years in order to give more time for his negative image to be repaired. It’s also possible that Clemens wants to avoid being snubbed for the Hall in order to avoid such an embarrassment.

No matter what he does or when he is on the ballot, Clemens may never be able to avoid missing out on the Hall of Fame. The best he can hope for is to win the hearts and minds of baseball writers everywhere by shocking the world and being effective at the ripe old age of 50.

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The Boston Red Sox‘s busy day continues and that’s thanks to the team suspending reliever Alfredo Aceves.

Update on August 26 at 12:42 a.m. EDT

WEEI.com is reporting exactly why Aceves has been suspended, a fact that has yet to come to light until now.

According to three sources inside Fenway Park, Alfredo Aceves tore off his jersey while making his way from the bullpen back to the clubhouse in the moments after Boston’s 4-3 win over the Royals Friday night. The game was saved by Andrew Bailey one night after Aceves allowed six hits and five runs and blew his third save in five chances.

Per the same report, manager Bobby Valentine believes that Aceves’ suspension might have been a result of the reliever’s negative reaction to being passed over for a save opportunity in favor of Andrew Bailey.

—–End of Update—–

Update on August 25 at 9:25 p.m. EDT

More specifics are coming to light about the cause of Aceves’ suspension, per Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com via Twitter.

Check that: It was after last night’s game he stormed out of office after meeting with Bobby V, Ben; asked for a meeting today w Ben, denied

— Gordon Edes (@GordonEdes) August 26, 2012

Clearly, Aceves is unhappy with something to do with his manager, Bobby Valentine. I’m afraid Ace will have to get in line for that one.

—–End of Update—– 

According to Major League Baseball’s Twitter page, the Sox suspended Aceves for three games for what is being called “conduct detrimental to the team.”

BREAKING: @redsox suspend RHP Alfredo Aceves for 3 games for conduct detrimental to the team.

— MLB (@MLB) August 26, 2012

There is no information yet as to just what that conduct was, but it must have been pretty bad considering it’s worthy of a suspension.

A former New York Yankee, Aceves was thrust into the closer’s role this season thanks to the near season-long injury to the Sox’s first choice as closer, Andrew Bailey.

However, Aceves has been dreadful out of the ‘pen, posting a 2-8 record with a 4.60 ERA and 25 saves in 32 chances. Those numbers aren’t exactly what Boston was hoping for to start the season.

In his most recent outing, Aceves was downright awful.

Not only did he blow the save opportunity, Aceves flat out blew up. He allowed five runs on six hits including two homers and one walk. It was just the latest in a disappointing season for the right-hander.

In the meantime, the Red Sox will have only Bailey to go with as closer and their bullpen will be slightly shorter than normal. At this point, it shouldn’t really matter anyway with the Red Sox falling further and further out of contention by the day.

Not to mention the blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers they pulled the trigger on that sent their best hitter out of town, per Mark Saxon of ESPNLos Angeles.com.

As if the Sox needed any more negative press this year, Aceves’ suspension is just another black eye for this organization as they look to end the nightmare 2012 season as soon as possible.

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Allen Webster is one of the prospects coming to the Boston Red Sox in the blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his development will be vital to the Red Sox success moving forward.

Per Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, the Red Sox sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to the Dodgers in exchange for James Loney, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus and Jerry Sands.

Here’s why Webster is so important for Boston.

Lack of Pitching

It’s no secret that the Red Sox have seen their starting rotation struggle this season.

Boston is currently ranked 26th in the MLB with a starting rotation that has a combined 4.88 ERA. That has been a major source of the team’s problems this season.

Now that Beckett is gone, the Sox will need to add another arm to their rotation in the seasons to come. Suspect starters like Aaron Cook and Franklin Morales simply won’t be enough to help Boston improve next season and quite possibly might not be around to even try.

The Sox desperately need arms, and Webster could help that. Although he won’t be helping them this season, he could become a staple in their rotation for the future.

Cost of Pitching

To land a solid starting pitcher in the MLB nowadays, teams have to open up their wallets and nobody knows the risk of that more than the Red Sox.

After all, they did sign John Lackey to a lucrative deal thinking he’d be a star in their rotation, but that hasn’t even come close to panning out.

Being that Webster is still a prospect, he will be under the team’s control for several years, and that gives Boston time to develop him into a top-notch starter who will be cheap.

It isn’t often that teams get solid starting pitching for next to nothing, but Webster gives the Red Sox an opportunity to do just that.

Bleak Outlook for Young Starters

At one time, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester were thought to be the future of the Sox rotation, and while that still holds true, things aren’t looking as good as they once did.

Lester has struggled mightily in 2012, posting a 8-10 record with an ERA of 4.98. Not exactly ace numbers for a guy who Boston thought could handle the job.

Buchholz has battled injuries the past few seasons, leaving his ultimate viability in question. But it isn’t injuries that are the most concerning thing about Buchholz at this point, as his 2012 season has been dreadful.

Buchholz does have an impressive 11-4 record, but his 4.47 ERA leaves a lot to be desired.

The two youngest members of the Red Sox rotation were supposed to carry the team into the future, but the 2012 season has put that in doubt.

Webster will be the next in line as the future of the team’s starting five and if he can develop into a solid starter, he could help reinject hope back into Boston’s future rotation alongside an improved Lester and Buchholz.

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The blockbuster trade of the MLB season involves the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. One of the pieces the Sox received in return was Dodgers prospect Jerry Sands.

The Boston Red Sox sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Rubby De La Rosa, Ivan De Jesus, Jerry Sands and James Loney, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports via Twitter.

So let’s take a look at what Sands will bring to the Red Sox.

Profile

Birth Date: September 28, 1987 (Age: 24)

Birth Place: Middletown, NY

Experience: 1 year

College: Catawba

Ht/Wt: 6-4, 220 lbs

About Sands’ Big League Time

Sands has seen some limited time with the Dodgers the past two seasons and has shown some flashes of talent.

In 2011, Sands played in 61 games with 198 at-bats. In that time, Sands hit .253 with four homers and 26 RBI. 2012 saw the 24-year-old get even less time in the big leagues. Sands hit .174 with a lone RBI in only nine games of action and 23 at-bats.

Sands’ Offense

While that doesn’t tell us much about Sands since he’s seen only part-time action in his career, his minor league numbers are much more telling.

Sands has great power for his young age, something he proved to be true during his time in the Dodgers’ farm system.

In 2010, Sands hit an incredible 35 homers and knocked in 93 runs with a .301 average between Single-A and Double-A ball. In 2011, Sands tacked on 29 homers with 88 RBI, batting .278 in Triple-A.

Continuing his Triple-A success in 2012, Sands is hitting .303, with 24 homers and 103 RBI.

Besides his power, Sands also has an ability to steal bases, which he displayed mostly in 2010 when he swiped 18 bags in the minors. It’s clear that when called upon, Sands can swipe a bag if necessary, adding another element to his game that teams will have to plan for in the future.

Strikeouts should be a concern for Boston moving forward, however. Sands got rung up 51 times in 198 at-bats back in 2011 and nine times in 2012 in only 23 at-bats in the bigs.

Sands’ Defense

Sands’ speed should help him become a solid outfielder for years to come, most likely in a corner position where he could cover a ton of ground. His arm is nothing to shake a stick at; Sands should be respected by runners challenging a throw to home plate from the outfield.

Sands racked up six assists during the 2011 season, all from either left or right field.

Conclusion

Sands’ time in the MLB should make him big-league ready for the 2013 season. He hasn’t developed into what his minor league numbers say yet, but Sands is still only 24 and will have plenty of time to get his act together while his new team in Boston rebuilds.

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The New York Yankees have battled injuries to their starting rotation the entire season, and now their ace, CC Sabathia, is the latest pitcher to fall victim.

Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com is reporting that Sabathia will be headed to the disabled list with stiffness in his throwing elbow.

According to Girardi, Sabathia first felt the stiffness after pitching a complete game against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 3 at Yankee Stadium. A subsequent MRI came back clean, so Sabathia made his next start five days later in Detroit, but left after 6 1/3 innings and just 94 pitches.

Girardi said the stiffness resurfaced after that start, but the decision to put Sabathia on the DL was not made until about 4 p.m. Saturday.

Sabathia’s injury is just the latest in a slew of trainer’s room problems for the Bombers. Sabathia joins Andy Pettitte, Michael Pineda and Mariano Rivera as a member of the walking wounded in the Yanks’ pitching staff.

For the season, Sabathia is 12-3 with a 3.56 ERA, and while those numbers are solid, they aren’t very Sabathia-like.

Normally, Sabathia gets better as the hotter months come during the baseball season, but that hasn’t happened as expected this season.

No matter how serious this injury might or might not be, the Yankees did the right thing shutting Sabathia down for now.

Yes, he is a workhorse, but Sabathia is also human, and with all the voids in the Yanks’ pitching staff, they simply couldn’t take a chance losing their ace for an extended amount of time.

If all goes well, Sabathia should be back by the end of August, and in the meantime, New York will have to piece it together and try to hold onto their division lead, now without two of their best starters.

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