The latest and most significant breadcrumb of next generation iPhone rumors in anticipation of the iPhone 5 is here.

Apple, according to MacRumors.com, is hoping to secure the rights to the domain name iphone5.com.

The domain is currently devoted to an independent group of enthusiasts speculating when the new product will be released.

Of course, securing the iPhone5.com domain doesn’t necessarily mean Apple will debut that product next month at its Worldwide Developers Conference (or at all). It could be a defensive move by the company, or another easy way to control the news cycle.

Find great games for iOS here

Apple reportedly tries to secure iphone5.com – iPhone app article – Brad Spirrison

Photo by Associated Press Cincinnati’s Joey Votto (19) hits a solo home run off Nationals starter Edwin Jackson in the first inning on Sunday. Advertisement CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto gave the Washington Nationals one more heartache in a week already full of them.

Votto hit a grand slam in the ninth inning for his third home run of the game on Sunday, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a rain-delayed 9-6 victory that knocked the Nationals out of first place in the NL East.

Washington headed home after a week that included two more players going on the disabled list with significant injuries and a 19-year-old rookie figuring in games in unusual ways.

Nothing was more unusual than how they let their chance to complete a sweep slip away.

“It was a tough night in the conditions and everything, but we gave them some cheap runs and you can’t do that,” manager Davey Johnson said.

They couldn’t contain Votto, either.

The 2010 NL MVP hit solo homers in his first two at-bats off Edwin Jackson, then flied out to the warning track and doubled. Given one more chance by struggling closer Henry Rodriguez, he thrilled a crowd that sat through a long delay and then more rain.

Washington came into the game with only 15 homers allowed all season, fewest in the majors. Votto hadn’t hit a homer since April 30.

He got the chance for last-swing drama when Rodriguez (1-3) got into the game and couldn’t get comfortable on the wet mound. Rodriguez walked two batters with two outs to load the bases, including Chris Heisey after getting ahead in the count 0-2.

Johnson came out to visit Rodriguez, who repeatedly scraped at the wet mound with his cleats.

“Rodriguez didn’t have command and he was kicking at the mound,” Johnson said. “Rodriguez has done such a great job. you just can’t walk guys like that. you don’t want Votto up there ever. He walked the guys he should have gotten out.”

Rodriguez left a 2-2 pitch up and over the plate for Votto, who hit it over the wall in center. He finished with a career-high six RBIs and the second three-homer game of his career.

The Reds said it was the first time in major league history that a player hit a game-ending grand slam for his third home run, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

It was Votto’s best day since he signed a new deal before opening day that added 10 years and $225 million.

“He did today what he’s been known to do,” Jackson said. “That’s what he got paid a lot of money to do.”

The last player to hit a game-ending home run in a three-homer game was Albert Pujols for St. Louis against Cincinnati on April 16, 2006, according to STATS LLC.

Giancarlo Stanton also hit a game-ending slam Sunday for Miami against the New York Mets, making it the first time in 14 years that there were two walk-off slams on one day, STATS said. Mo Vaughn connected for Boston and Steve Finley for San Diego on April 10, 1998.

A few thousand fans were left to cheer Cincinnati’s first game-ending grand slam since Adam Dunn connected off Cleveland’s Bob Wickman on June 30, 2006.

Sean Marshall (1-2) got the win at the end of the long day. The start was delayed 3 hours, 36 minutes by rain, which continued to fall throughout the 3-hour, 45-minute game.

Ahead 6-3, the Nationals couldn’t close out what would have been their first three-game sweep of the season. The Reds got two runs in the eighth when rookie right fielder Bryce Harper lost Jay Bruce’s two-out fly ball in the twilight sky, letting it fall way behind him for a double.

“Once the ball got above the stands, I lost it,” Harper said. “It was hazy. I had no clue. I didn’t think he hit it that deep.”

Then, their closer let it slip away, concluding a painful one-week trip.

Right fielder Jayson Werth had surgery on his broken left wrist Monday, and Harper needed 10 stitches for a self-inflicted gash above his left eye on Friday after he hurt himself slamming a bat against a wall near the dugout. Catcher Wilson Ramos tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while chasing a passed ball Saturday night.

Despite sending 11 players to the disabled list already this season, the Nationals had managed to stay atop the NL East because of their pitching staff, which leads the majors. For one of the few times, it let them down, and Washington dropped into second place behind Atlanta.

NOTES: The Nationals headed out for a seven-game homestand, including two games each against San Diego and Pittsburgh and three against Baltimore. The Reds left for an unusual seven-game trip: Atlanta for two games, then on to New York for two against the Mets and three against the Yankees. … The Nationals called up C Sandy Leon from Double-A Harrisburg. … Harper wore a bandage over his left eye for the second straight game and had a pair of singles, ending his 0-for-9 slump in Cincinnati. … Reds 3B Mike Costanzo, called up to replace injured Scott Rolen, made his big league debut as a pinch-hitter in the fifth and hit a sacrifice fly on the first pitch.

Votto hits 3 HRs, slams Nats – The Frederick News-Post Online

The Atlanta Braves’ major collapse during the final month of the 2011 season enabled the St. Louis Cardinals to sneak into the postseason and subsequently win the World Series. Atlanta led the Cardinals by 8.5 games in September and would hold on to the lead until the final day of the regular season. It was a very tough pill to swallow for newly hired manager Fredi Gonzalez, who failed to reach the postseason despite an 89-73 record. Atlanta didn’t make major changes, however, and the team will stick it out with most of its roster intact. Here are the projected starting lineup, starting rotation and closer situation.

Projected Lineup

Brian McCann (Catcher) – Regarded as the best catcher in the National League, McCann disappointed when the team needed him the most, as he struggled for the final six weeks of the season. he only hit.180 in the final stretch, but wound up with 24 home runs to lead all catchers last season. The disappointing end to his season will be motivation to come out strong in 2012.

Freddie Freeman (First Base) – in his first season in the Major Leagues, the 22-year-old came out firing and exceeded expectations at an exponential pace. Freeman not only led the Braves with a.282 batting average, he also hit 21 home runs with 76 RBI. he certainly has the potential to be a major player for the Braves; it’s just a matter of time before that potential is realized and everything comes together.

Dan Uggla (Second Base) – despite struggling in the first three months of the season, hitting just.173, Uggla bounced back to hit a career-high 36 home runs and reel off a 33-game hitting streak to end the season. he should hit another 30-plus home runs in 2012, with the potential for an even bigger year if he can get off to a fast start.

Tyler Pastornicky (Shortstop) – Atlanta let go of defensive shortstop Alex Gonzalez to make way for Pastornicky. he was able to hit.314 in 117 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season. he doesn’t have a lot of power, but the 22-year-old certainly has the speed to be a threat on the bases and reach a.300 average in the Majors this year.

Chipper Jones (Third Base) – despite a litany of injuries, the veteran third baseman continues to chip in and produce big-time whenever he is able to play. in 126 games last year, Jones hit.275 with 18 home runs and 70 RBI. As long as the veteran can play 120-130 games this year, the Braves will be happy.

Martin Prado (Left Field) – after reaching a.300 average the previous two-plus seasons, Prado had a disappointing year last year, when he hit just.260 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. he can still turn it around offensively and go back to hitting.300, but the real value he has on this team is his ability to step in and play third base when needed.

Michael Bourn (Center Field) – The Braves traded for Bourn last season, and it looks as though they have finally found their leadoff man. Bourn hit.294 with 94 runs and 61 stolen bases between the Houston Astros and the Braves last season. he is one of the more underrated outfielders in the game today and he can certainly help the Braves in their quest to go back to the postseason in 2012.

Jason Heyward (Right Field) – after a promising rookie season, Heyward fell victim to the sophomore slump and has become a question mark in 2012. he hit just.227 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI, a far cry from his.277 with 18 home runs and 72 RBI as a rookie. he still has what it takes to bounce back, but whether or not he is able to is certainly up to him.

Projected Rotation

Tim Hudson (RHP) – The 36-year-old veteran had another solid season last year. he went 16-10 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. he is coming from back surgery in the offseason, but he is expected to be ready for spring training.

Tommy Hanson (RHP) – Hanson had to miss a huge part of August and September with a shoulder injury. he can be dominant when healthy, though, as he went 10-4 with a 2.44 ERA early on. he did struggle in his final five starts before getting injured, going just 1-3 with an 8.10 ERA in that span.

Jair Jurrjens (RHP) – a knee injury also sidelined Jurrjens for an extended period last year. he finished 13-6 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. His inability to stay healthy is a bit worrisome, but his low ERA is very important to the team’s success.

Brandon Beachy (RHP) – Beachy churned in quite an impressive performance as a rookie last season. in 25 starts, the youngster went 7-3 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. The stat that has a lot of people excited is his 10.7 Ks/9 innings. he has the potential to be the ace of this staff for years to come.

Mike Minor (LHP) – Minor stepped in for the injured starters and held his own as he helped the Braves go 9-3 in his 12 starts. he ended up 5-3 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. he is still just 24 years old and still has plenty of time to pan out. if he can’t hold down the fifth spot, the Braves have the option to turn to a couple of highly touted prospects in Randall Delgado and Julio Teheran.

Projected Closer

Craig Kimbrel (RHP) – in only his first season in the Major Leagues, the kid has already proved his stock as he set a rookie record with 46 saves and earning the National League Rookie of the Year award. Both right- and left-handed hitters hit under just.200 against him. he struck out 127 batters in just 77 innings. he is already being touted as the most dominant closer in the game.

2012 Atlanta Braves Predictions

Following the final road trip of April, the Red Sox had plenty of reasons to feel good about themselves. the team seemed to finally be clicking as they went 6-1 while showing an ability to win both close games and offensive blowouts and evening their record to 11-11. since returning home, however, the Red Sox are back to the slumping Boston team that has occupied the bottom spot in the AL East for much of the season. the Red Sox are 1-4 on the current homestead and have lost nine of their last 10 games at Fenway Park, a place where the team has traditionally enjoyed home field advantage.

After suffering an 8-2 loss on Saturday afternoon, the Red Sox enter Sunday’s series finale against the Orioles looking to avoid being swept for the fourth time this season. Clay Buchholz will take the mound for the Red Sox in the homestead finale, while the Orioles will send out righthander Tommy Hunter in their attempt to complete a sweep at Fenway Park.

In terms of runs allowed, Buchholz has not pitched well this season. the righthander has surrendered at least five earned runs in each of his six outings so far this season, but the team has somehow found a way to win behind him, as Buchholz owns a 3-1 record.

Buchholz pitched well through the first six innings of his most recent start, an 11-6 Red Sox win over the Athletics on April 30. He held the A’s to one run on four hits while the Red Sox roughed up the Oakland pitching staff for 11 runs in the first five innings. Buchholz unraveled in the seventh inning, however, when, with two outs in the inning, he allowed a two-run single and a three-run home run before being pulled in favor of Junichi Tazawa.

On Sunday, Buchholz will look to lower his ERA against a Baltimore team who hit well against him last season. in his only outing of 2011 against the Orioles, Buchholz took a 4-1 loss after allowing four runs on a season-high 12 hits over 6 2/3 innings. Catcher Matt Wieters has been an especially difficult batter for Buchholz, as the 25-year-old is 6-for-14 with two doubles and an RBI in his career against Buchholz. in contrast, Robert Andino has struggled throughout his career against the righthander, going 0-for-7 with five strikeouts against Buchholz.

Hunter will take the mound for the Orioles with six days of rest under his belt. the righthander had an in-grown toenail removed after his last start, a 5-2 win over Oakland on April 29, and had his start this weekend pushed back one day to give him extra time to recover. Hunter is 2-1 on the season and the Orioles have won four of the five games that he started. in his last outing, he allowed two runs on seven hits through seven innings but did not earn a decision in the Baltimore victory.

Hunter has made six starts against the Red Sox and compiled a 2-1 record and a 6.52 ERA in those games. He last faced the Red Sox on Sept. 26 last season, and he limited Boston to one earned run on seven hits through five innings in an eventual 6-3 Baltimore win. the heart of Boston’s lineup, however, has enjoyed success against Hunter. David Ortiz hits Hunter at a .313 clip and has a double and two home runs against him. Adrian Gonzalez owns a team-best .429 average against Hunter while Dustin Pedroia is close behind with his .400 average in his career against the righthander.

Orioles vs. Buchholz (RHP)

Nick Markakis (29 plate appearances): .125 BA/.276 OBP/.125 SLG, 1 RBI, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts

Adam Jones (16): .300 BA/.333 OBP/.700 SLG, 1 double, 1 home run, 6 RBIs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Matt Wieters (15): .429 BA/.467 OBP/.571 SLG, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Robert Andino (8): .000 BA/.125 OBP/.000 SLG, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

Mark Reynolds (7): .167 BA/.143 OBP/.333 SLG, 1 double, 1 RBI, 4 strikeouts

Chris Davis (3): .000 BA/.333 OBP/.000 SLG, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Red Sox vs. Hunter (RHP)

David Ortiz (16 plate appearances): .313 BA/.313 OBP/.750 SLG, 1 double, 2 home

runs, 5 RBIs, 4 strikeouts

Dustin Pedroia (11): .400 BA/.455 OBP/.600 SLG, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Adrian Gonzalez (9): .429 BA/.556 OBP/.571 SLG, 1 double, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Ryan Sweeney (9): .250 BA/.333 OBP/.375 SLG, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 1 walk

Mike Aviles (7): .167 BA/.143 OBP/.167 SLG, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout

Cody Ross (3): .000 BA/.333 OBP/.000 SLG, 1 walk

Nick Punto (2): .000 BA/.000 OBP/.000 SLG

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2): .000 BA/.000 OBP/.000 SLG

Full Count » Sunday’s Red Sox-Orioles matchups: Clay Buchholz vs. Tommy Hunter

The Texas Rangers visit Camden Yards to square off with the Baltimore Orioles Monday.Texas jumped out of the gate fast and piled up the wins in April to look like they would never lose back to back games. fast forward to the present and the mighty Rangers have shown signs of slowing for the first time in 2012. a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Cleveland on Sunday was the Rangers fourth in five games and their second consecutive lost series. the bulk of the problems have come at the plate although it was the bats that fell short versus the Indians on Sunday. Yu Darvish wasn’t his dominant self but threw well enough to win with four runs allowed (three earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out eleven in six innings. the Rangers scored a pair of eighth inning runs on a ground out by Josh Hamilton and an RBI single by Michael Young. Texas sends struggling Matt Harrison to the bump in Mondays opener, hoping he can get his game in gear. Harrison has been tagged for 14 runs in 8.1 innings over his last two outings.Baltimore completed an unexpected four game sweep of the Red Sox with a 9-6, 17 inning victory at Fenway Park. the white hot Orioles claimed victory number five in a row and their tenth in 12 games overall. the bats have been throwing up five runs on a regular basis while the pitching has been just as strong. the series ending thriller featured some solid pitching although it didn’t come from starter Tommy Hunter who was tagged for five runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in 4.1 frames. the bullpen saved the day with one run allowed over 12.2 innings by a combined eight hurlers. he O’s pounded Boston pitching for 15 hits and ten walks with JJ Hardy slugging two homers. Robert Andino connected on a three run jack while Adam Jones left the yard in the 17th to finally win it. Baltimore turns to left hander Brian Matusz who looks for consecutive victories after lasting 6.1 innings to beat the Yankees 7-1 which was his first victory since June of 2011.the pitching match up is not awe inspiring with two struggling hurlers facing two offenses that can light up the scoreboard. Logic says the Orioles might be at a disadvantage with the pen spent and all the travel back home so right now I’m very small on the home dog…

Matt Harrison (L) (3-2) (5.400) vs. Brian Matusz (L) (1-3) (4.667)

When you think of baseball, it can look an awful lot like a duel built for two. It’s a team sport, of course, but predicated on head-to-head matchups between pitcher and batter. For that reason, the effect a power hitter can have on games or whole series can never be underestimated. Young sluggers are putting fear into opposing pitchers every night this baseball season. Here are five to watch in HD on satellite TV.

1. Evan Longoria. When the Rays recently battled the Kansas City Royals to a 1-0 victory – Zack Greinke taking the tough loss – one could not help but notice the run came from a single hit. Longoria got the AL’s best pitcher Greinke for a home run which proved to be the deciding factor. Longoria is a threat anywhere, anytime, one of the most fear-inducing hitters in the game and still with his whole career before him.

2. Jason Heyward. definitely the most exciting thing about the 2010 Atlanta Braves, Heyward has been raking ever since making the big club and is waiting for the rest of the team to follow suit. With the pitching they are getting, the Braves definitely have to hit more while hoping Jurrjens, Lowe et al return to form. Nonetheless, there’s nothing like watching a young slugger take his mighty cuts and connect plenty of the time. Rookie of the Year candidate in 2010? there seems to be no limit to Heyward’s upside.

3. Robinson Cano. Is Robby Cano a slugger? When you clock a.385 average and slug 9 home runs in the first month of the season, you have to be considered a threat from every angle at the plate. The sweet lefty swing of Cano is tailor-made for the Yankees Stadium right field, but Cano is having his way in parks all across the league. while many are calling him an early frontrunner for MVP, there is a long way to go. A batting title, on the other hand, is never out of reach for a pure hitter of his caliber. Watch Cano on YES.

4. Hanley Ramirez. Built on the Tejada/Jeter shortstop mold, Ramirez is no Phil Rizzuto when he picks up his bat. One of the few people who can say ‘I hit a home run off Tim Lincecum’ in recent times, it seems no pitcher can get the best of Hanley all the time. He’s an MVP candidate with all of the tools a ballplayer needs, but unfortunate to play in the same league as Albert Pujols. Watch Hanley strike fear in opposing pitchers all summer long with a satellite TV HD baseball package.

5. Kendry Morales. while Morales has been in professional ball since anchoring the Cuban team from the cleanup spot, he’s still young and growing by MLB standards. Switch-hitting and always slugging, Morales has put dents in the reputations of enough pitchers at this point that he is a legitimate threat in the home run title category. Castro definitely wishes he had his slugger back. Watch Morales on Angel HD networks.

5 Young Sluggers Frightening Pitchers Nightly on Satellite TV

MEMPHIS — Zach Randolph started at power forward for the Memphis Grizzlies in their first-round Game 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.

“It’s something I’m used to,” Randolph said of being in the starting lineup. “I’m close to (100 percent). I’m still getting my feel, getting my timing, but I’m close.”

He missed 38 games in the regular season after tearing his medial collateral ligament (MCL) on new Years Day.

He started in the Grizzlies’ finale against Orlando, a win that clinched the no. 4 seed for Memphis, his only previous start in the month of April.

Randolph is matched up against Blake Griffin, who is making his postseason debut two months after starting in the All-Star Game.

“(Randolph) has an unbelievable touch around the rim,” Griffin said on Saturday. “You have to account for him early and make sure he doesn’t duck in on you. you have to make it tougher for him. He’s going to make shots. That’s what he does. That’s what he’s best at. My job is to slow him down.”

Griffin’s teammate, Chris Paul, will be closely monitored by the Clippers on Sunday night, as the All-Star point guard continues to nurse a mild left groin strain.

“He will play,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. “He will be limited, probably a little bit, just to see how he feels out there. He hasn’t really been out there for a while, so we’ll monitor it and see how he feels. We want to be smart about it. you got to win four games. You’re not going to win the series tonight. Obviously, the first game is very important. We know that every game is, but we also know how important Chris is.”

Paul suffered the strain during the Clippers’ loss in Atlanta last Tuesday. Paul didn’t play the following night in new York, when the Clippers fell to the Knicks and effectively handed home-court advantage in the first round to Memphis.

Since the injury, Paul hasn’t participated in any full-contract drills and has been receiving regular treatment on the groin.

Informed of the possibility that his coach could limit his minutes as a measure of caution, Paul spiritedly rejected the idea.

“He better not! He better not,” Paul said. “I’m ready to go.”

Zach Randolph OK to start again

DETROIT — former Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman confirmed on Wednesday that he underwent Tommy John surgery this week, in hopes of making a comeback next spring.

Buster Olney of ESPN.com first reported the news. Bonderman confirmed his plans in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon with MLB.com, explaining his decision to give it one more try after disappearing from the game following the 2010 season.

“I just got the itch to give it another shot,” Bonderman said. “I’m going to work out, try to get a team to give me a chance. hopefully I can get a team to give me a shot.”

Bonderman last pitched in 2010 with the Tigers, posting an 8-10 record and a 5.53 ERA in 30 games, 29 of them starts. He gave up 187 hits over 171 innings, with 60 walks and 112 strikeouts.

Bonderman said Wednesday that he blew out his elbow that offseason while working out. He said his elbow was fine when he was pitching in 2010, having come off surgery and shoulder problems that limited him the previous two years.

Bonderman said he didn’t know the full extent of his elbow problems until he underwent a physical for the Cleveland Indians, who were interested in signing him. that deal obviously fell through once the results came back. a follow-up exam with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum confirmed the damage.

After a year at home, he said, the itch came back. Once he’s recovered enough, he hopes to work out with a trainer this summer, find a team willing to sign him to a Minor League contract, then give it another shot in the spring, when he’ll be 30 years old.

DETROIT — while the Tigers echoed their goal of winning a World Series championship before a record gathering for their annual luncheon at the Detroit Economic Club, manager Jim Leyland told the crowd that his team might need a “mean streak” to do it.

Leyland made the remark while praising his team for being so easy for him and the coaches to work with.

“We just have a wonderful group of guys. In fact, to be honest with you, if we’re going to win this thing, we’ve got to find that little mean streak that’s in all of us,” Leyland said. “We need that, and we’re going to have to have that. we are going to need that little mean streak, I can assure you, that little swagger, because we’re the hunted. but I’ll take my chances with this group. We’ve got a lot of characters, a lot of wonderful guys with great, great personalities.”

If that sounds familiar, it’s similar to what he said about his first Tigers team back in 2006. during Spring Training that year, he had a lengthy talk with reporters about how that team needed a swagger, something that was hard to find from a franchise that hadn’t finished with a winning record in a decade.

This team, obviously, has a lot more star power, but they also have a lot more teams targeting them, something Leyland also referenced in his speech.

“We have our stars that are nationally recognized, but I think the most important, the best part about our team, when our stars speak, we’re a team of 25 guys,” he said. “We work hard together, we have tremendous talent.

Leyland later added to that in his pregame remarks to reporters, saying it was “just a message to the fans and to the team.”

As Leyland put it, “I’ve never really seen many good players or good teams that didn’t have a little mean streak, a little selfishness in them, to be honest with you. I mean that in a good way. … In our case, I think it’s particularly important because a lot of people have talked about our club, blah blah blah. There’s time to be a real nice guy and a gentleman, but it’s not when the game starts. You have to have a little bit of [jerk] in you, if you want to know the truth.”

DETROIT — Finally, there are signs of progress again in Doug Fister’s injury situation. The Tigers right-hander, sidelined since the first weekend of the season with a strained left rib cage muscle, played catch on Wednesday, and is now scheduled to have a mound session on Thursday morning.

It’ll be the first time Fister has thrown off a mound since last week in Kansas City, where he felt pain again in that left side while throwing on back-to-back days. Since then, the Tigers have been relatively cautious about his progress to avoid a more severe setback, though manager Jim Leyland sounded upbeat after Fister underwent treatment on Monday.

Thursday’s mound session won’t put him on a timetable to return to game action by the end of the month, but it at least puts a return in sight. Adam Wilk made his third start in Fister’s place on Wednesday night against the Mariners.

“It’s kind of a wait-and-see thing,” manager Jim Leyland said Wednesday afternoon.

DETROIT — Tigers manager Jim Leyland didn’t get a chance to use Andy Dirks’ return to give Austin Jackaon a day out of the lineup on Wednesday like he had hoped. but he won’t have to wait any longer on Dirks.

“Dirks is ready to go,” Leyland said after Wednesday’s loss. “He’ll probably play [Thursday].”

If he does, it’ll be his first game action in a week and a half, since he strained his left hamstring rounding third base against Kansas City. His absence is far from the main reason for the Tigers’ struggles lately, but it sure hasn’t helped. They’ve struggled to manufacture offense without him.

Leyland likely won’t shake up the lineup with Dirks back, but he’ll get another left-handed bat, one that had been swinging well before he was hurt.

• Miguel Cabrera’s home run on Tuesday was his 76th career home run at Comerica Park, moving him into a tie with Brandon Inge for the ballpark record. Cabrera has amassed his total in just 333 games there, including 75 homers in 330 games as a Tiger. Inge’s home runs have come over 719 games.

• Tigers top prospect Jacob Turner will make a second rehab start at Class a Lakeland on Saturday. Turner was a candidate for the Tigers’ fifth starter job before shoulder tendinitis sidelined him in mid-March. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo later in the month, but stayed back in Lakeland when the Mud Hens broke camp.

• Brad Eldred continues to slug the ball at Triple-A Toledo. The Minor League free-agent signing from the winter hit his 13th home run in his 20th game this season Wednesday, helping power the Mud Hens past Columbus. The 31-year-old is batting .388 with 35 RBIs.

Bonderman has Tommy John surgery

Ivan Rodriguez is going back to Texas to retire.

The 14-time All-Star catcher who won a record 13 Gold Gloves will formally announce his retirement as an active player Monday at Rangers Ballpark, the home of his original team. He will also be honored by the Texas Rangers before their game that night against the New York Yankees, one of the five teams he played for after Texas.

Rodriguez, now 40, and the Rangers announced the plans Thursday, a day after the news was first reported by The associated Press.

A fan favorite known as Pudge, Rodriguez was only 19 when he made his major league debut with Texas on June 20, 1991. He played the first 12 of his 21 major league seasons with Texas, and returned to the Rangers briefly in 2009.

Rodriguez caught a major league-record 2,427 games, and hit .296 with 311 home runs and 1,332 RBIs in 2,543 games overall with Texas (1991-2002, 2009), Florida (2003), Detroit (2004-08), the Yankees (2008), Houston (2009), and Washington (2010-11).

When the Rangers won their third AL West title in a four-year span in 1999, Rodriguez hit .332 with 35 home runs and 113 RBIs and was the American League MVP.

The two-time defending American League champion Rangers never played in the World Series when Rodriguez was there. He left Texas as a free agent after the 2002 season before signing with Florida.

Rodriguez did get to play in two World Series, in 2003 with the champion Marlins and in 2006 with the Tigers.

Ivan Rodriguez Retiring in Texas on Monday

DETROIT — almost a decade later, Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s impermeable play still stands out in the mind of Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom.

Lidstrom is tasked Friday night with leading his Wings as they seek to beat Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne, whose outstanding play has pushed the Wings to the brink of elimination entering Game 5.

Rinne’s relentless defense of his net is reminiscent of the 2003 playoffs, when Giguere carried the Anaheim Ducks as they swept and upset the Wings in the first round. Having faced 138 shots over four games, Rinne has a .942 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against average.

After returning to work Thursday with a practice followed by a flight to Nashville, site of Game 5, Lidstrom was asked about other hot goaltenders he has faced during his 20 seasons in the playoffs.

“Giguere comes to mind,” Lidstrom said. “He’s the guy that sticks out.”

Giguere stonewalled the Wings, allowing six goals in four games. Rinne has done much the same, allowing eight goals over four games . But there’s another man who works for the Wings who remembers Giguere: Mike Babcock, who back then was coach of the Ducks.

“I can’t go off much, except we got outshot one period in Detroit, 20-1, in overtime, in Game 1,” he said. “Our goalie stood on his head. Through the rest of the playoffs, that wasn’t the case, we played well and so we didn’t give up as much.”

If the Wings want to avoid Rinne rolling on in the playoffs, Babcock believes there was inspiration to be found in Wednesday’s game between the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Rangers, led by goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, and the eighth-seeded Senators.

“New York’s goalie has been fantastic,” Babcock said. “But they were determined to get second and third shots and they just kept getting to the net and in the end, they were able to get it done. We’re going to have to do the same thing.”

The Wings have 83 shots on Rinne the past two games, many of them from around the crease. Babcock watched Tuesday’s 3-1 loss three times after hearing TV color analyst Mickey Redmond say the Predators were keeping the Wings from getting up-close shots on Rinne .

“All I can do is go off what I see,” Babcock said, “and I don’t think that’s the truth. so we’ve got to find a way to score on him. He catches everything, so we’ve got to keep it away from his glove. But I don’t think we can tell our guys to stop shooting. But I think we’ve got to keep getting to the net as hard as we possibly can.”

That goes hand in hand with cutting down on defensive mistakes. The Wings had a couple of bad ones in Game 4, both of which enabled the Predators to score.

“I don’t think they’re getting a whole lot of chances, but they’ve been getting some clear-cut chances that they’ve scored on, that have been defensive breakdowns from our side,” Lidstrom said. “That’s been costing us a couple of goals, costing us a couple of games, as well.”

The Wings haven’t made the Predators pay for their mistakes, but that’s because Rinne has been there to make the stop.

At 6-feet-5 and agile feet, he is hard to beat on first shots — which is why the Wings emphasize going inside and getting rebounds. The Wings have played well, and believe they can still get this series back from the Predators.

“I think the most important thing is just to out-will them,” Jimmy Howard said. “Our backs are against the wall. we all know that if we lose, we start our summer, and I don’t think anybody wants that here in this room.”

Commentary: Red Wings have experience on their side but need to score