Rays right-hander Jeff Niemann did not make his scheduled start Saturday due to a blister on the middle finger of his right hand. "It's a pretty good size in an inopportune spot," Niemann said. He is expected to begin the season as Tampa Bay's No. 5 starter. Niemann has been throwing the past few days with a band aid covering the blister, something he would not be allowed to do during a game. "I'm just trying to make sure it heals, that's the biggest thing," he said. "It was pretty big and pretty deep, so the skin is real soft under it. We have to be pretty cautious to not rip it and go back to square one."

The tightness in the left groin of Josh Hamilton is not believed to be serious, but he was not in the lineup for Saturday night's game with the Indians. He remains listed as day to day. Hamilton complained of tightness after the seventh inning of Friday's 5-3 win over the Rockies, and was taken out of the game.

Michael Pineda's sore right shoulder showed no structural damage, a development Yankees manager Joe Girardi termed "great news." The pitcher has tendinitis and will begin the season on the disabled list. "I'm feeling a little better," Pineda said. "A little sore. I'm a little sad. I'll be OK." Pineda had experienced soreness in the back of his right shoulder on Friday night. "I'm pitching this year," he said. "I'm coming back strong."

Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda said he felt "a little sore" in the back of his right shoulder during an abbreviated outing on Friday night. It was unclear if Pineda is injured or if this was "normal soreness." He said he felt the soreness "most of the time tonight," but that he did not inform the Yankees until after he was removed from the game with two outs in the third inning and the Phillies holding a 6-1 lead. "When I was throwing, it was a little sore," Pineda said. "It's normal for players who play every day."

An MRI on the right elbow of Curtis Granderson, taken Wednesday morning, didn't reveal anything serious. Granderson was scratched from Tuesday night's lineup after experiencing soreness in the elbow and didn't play Wednesday against the Braves.

Nationals closer Drew Storen will start the season on the DL because of trouble in his right elbow. Manager Davey Johnson said Wednesday that Storen wouldn't be ready for Opening Day on April 5. Storen played catch Tuesday for the first time in a week and felt no pain in his inflamed elbow. "I know his arm is in pretty good shape right now, but if it's a slow rehab, hopefully, being cautious, maybe (he's be ready) mid-April," Johnson said. "Maybe I'm being overly hopeful."

Rays manager Joe Maddon announced Wednesday that B.J. Upton will begin the regular season on the 15-day DL and pitcher James Shields will start Opening Day against the Yankees. David Price will follow Shields in the No. 2 spot with reigning AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson in the third spot. Matt Moore, Tampa's latest rookie sensation, will slide in at No. 4 and Jeff Niemann rounds out the Rays' rotation.

Curtis Granderson was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday night's Yankees-Blue Jays spring training game because of right elbow soreness. "We'll do a precautionary MRI tomorrow to make sure it's nothing significant," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. "We don't believe it is." So far this spring, Granderson is batting .333 with 11 hits in 33 at-bats. When asked how worried he is about Granderson's injury, Cashman said, "Right now, on a scale of one to 10, two or less."

Joba Chamberlain addressed reporters on Tuesday to clarify misconceptions about the ankle injury he suffered recently. He suffered the serious injury playing with his five-year-old son last week at a children's play facility where the entire floor is made up of trampolines. "I didn't fall off anything," Chamblerlain said. "I just went to take off -- I was jumping from one to the other, because it's like big rectangles, and that's it. I went to jump, and Karter was right behind me, and I jumped, and I felt something go. "As soon as I landed, not unconsciously, I grabbed my leg and then I looked and I was like, 'Oh, that's not the way it should be facing.'" Chamberlain denied reports he suffered significant blood loss, and that his life was ever in danger. "I didn't lose a lot of blood, contrary to what people wrote and what people read," the right-hander said. "It wasn't life-threatening. I wasn't planning on losing my foot. That was it." "I knew there wasn't a lot (of information) that you guys had out there when it happened. But it's one of those things that bothers me, too, that people are calling me and asking if it's life-threatening and if I'm gonna lose my foot. "I know there wasn't a lot out there, I get that. But also, on the other hand, you've gotta put yourself in my situation, if that was you and your family was out there."

A number of questions have surrounded the chronically injured knees of Chase Utley, even after he spoke with the media on Sunday. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. insists that the team isn't toying with the media as the second baseman's status for 2012 remains uncertain. "We're not giving you the information to try to deceive or create more speculation," Amaro said. "We're trying to be as respectful to some of our players as we can possibly be. And at the same time, we're trying to give you as much information as we can. We don't have anything to gain from hiding information from you guys."