(ESPN The Magazine)Via the Bergen Record’s Steve Popper:

The Mets had gotten the good news Monday that Guillermo Mota was back on the mound, pitching for the New Orleans Zephyrs, putting one public relations nightmare behind them.

But they had barely gotten one steroid-user back in uniform before word came down that Lino Urdaneta, who had spent 10 days on the major league roster before being demoted Monday night, tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Ouch. The Mets have sure had their share of bad publicity lately. In March, we criticized the Mets clubhouse for embracing steroid-cheat Guillermo Mota. Then last month came the bombshell report that Kirk Radomski, a former Mets clubhouse gofer, is cooperating with baseball’s steroids investigation after pleading guilty to distributing steroids and other drugs to Major League players between 1995 and 2005. While Radomski no longer worked for the Mets organization during that time period, the story has nevertheless been a black eye for the team. ESPN The Magazine featured the …

As expected, the Mets have placed Moises Alou on the 15-day DL and recalled lefty starting pitcher Jason Vargas from AAA-New Orleans to start today’s afternoon tilt.

Vargas hasn’t exactly be mowing them down for the Zephyrs, compiling a 2-3 record and 5.30 ERA in seven starts. However the 24-year-old had a strong spring, going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and has shown that he can be a competent major league pitcher in the past. In 2005 at age 22, Vargas went 5-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 13 starts for the Marlins before struggling in his limited starts in 2006.

Via the Journal News’ Peter Abraham:

Plenty of people here in the Windy City believe Alex Rodriguez will be playing for the Cubs or White Sox next season.

Here is what the ever-nutty Ozzie Guillen had to say about it last night:

“A-Rod is going to play for the city of Chicago. He’s going to talk to Mayor Daley. When we’re in town, he’s going to play for the White Sox. When we leave town, he will play for the Cubs. When we play against each other, and we’re home, he will play for us; when we play at Wrigley, he will represent the Cubs.