The Phillies hope that right-handed reliever Chad Durbin will stabilize the middle innings and nurture the organization’s young relievers along the way.

Veteran catcher Kelly Shoppach is in Seattle meeting with Mariners officials and is scheduled to take a physical on Wednesday, according to a baseball source, as the club continues looking to add depth behind the plate.

Left-hander Andy Pettitte will remain in Yankees camp this spring, passing on an opportunity to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

B.J. and Justin Upton are next in a line of approximately 100 sets of brothers to play as teammates. Though rare, brothers donning the same Major League uniform is nothing new. It can be traced as far back as 1882, when Bill and Jack Gleason suited up for the St. Louis Browns.

Despite arguably the strongest drug testing program in professional sports, there exists some unknown percentage of Major League and Minor League players using performance-enhancing substances. Perhaps, then, it’s time to take another look at those penalties.

Players want a clean game — at least the vast majority of them do. On this, there is absolutely no doubt. They want those who are caught with banned substances to be punished, and they want their drug-testing program to be the best on earth.

Bud Norris and a bunch of his buddies are packing up the car and driving to New Orleans this weekend to see their beloved San Francisco 49ers play the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII, but the Astros pitcher is anything but a front-running fan.

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez denied that he used performance-enhancing drugs after a report from the Miami New Times linked the pitcher to Anthony Bosch, who reportedy supplied PEDs to professional athletes from Miami.

Barring a snag in his physical exam, the Brewers’ 2012 Opening Day shortstop will be this year’s backup. General manager Doug Melvin confirmed Tuesday that the team was moving toward a one-year deal with Alex Gonzalez.

OK, OK. Let me get this out of the way: I’m a little biased when it comes to the Reds. I spent much of my youth in Cincinnati when the Big Red Machine was the rage. I also didn’t exactly bleed Dodger Blue while matriculating at Miami (Ohio) University up the road in Oxford.

Alex Rodriguez allegedly made purchases of performance-enhancing drugs from a South Florida clinic over the last four years, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Miami New Times. Rodriguez denied any link in a statement issued by his spokesman.

Justin Upton had his first opportunity to don his new jersey when he was introduced during a news conference at Turner Field on Tuesday afternoon.

The Rangers offered little comment on a report out of Miami that stated outfielder Nelson Cruz was among a list of prominent clients at a clinic under investigation for the sale of performance-enhancing drugs.

General manager Sandy Alderson and assistant GM John Ricco flew to Houston last week to have dinner with Michael Bourn and his agent, Scott Boras, according to the New York Post. But the meeting “was more a getting-to-know-you session than a dollars-and-cents negotiation,” according to the paper, “at a time when the dollars and cents remain among the most significant hurdles in doing a deal.”

Jurickson Profar, Dylan Bundy, Oscar Taveras and Wil Myers were the clear choices for the 2013 prospect version of Mount Rushmore. The overall tally at the top was close, but more than 70 percent of those polled picked the Rangers shortstop as their choice for No. 1.

Major League Baseball is gathering and reviewing information regarding Tuesday’s report in the Miami New Times that linked at least seven Major Leaguers to performance-enhancing substances via a recently closed clinic in Miami, but also expressed confidence that the developments demonstrate the scope of the sport’s anti-doping efforts.

Instead of overreacting to the inability to sign the likes of Zack Greinke and Joshn Hamilton by overpaying to get a lesser player on the free-agent market, the Rangers reassessed their roster and looked instead at a bit of patchwork to help them get through until something with more impact can be accomplished.