According to ESPN.com, Wagner will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.

The injury will sideline Wagner for six to eight weeks. The catching prospect isn't happy about the injury, but he has accepted the consequences.

"What are you going to do, you know, one of those things," Wagner told ESPN.com. "Just something I have to accept."

Several Red Sox players have undergone successful hamate surgeries in the past that have not affected their play. Dustin Pedroia played the final two months of the Boston's 2007 World Series championship season with a fractured left hamate bone before undergoing offseason surgery in November, and David Ortiz had the bone removed from his right hand in 1998.

Wagner admits he's eager to get the surgery done so he can begin his recovery.

"I told the doctor, 'Let's do it now,'" Wagner said. "Quicker, the better."'

Wagner has split time behind the plate in Portland with Dusty Brown this season. The 25-year-old backstop has hit .226 with two home runs and eight RBIs while throwing out 2 of 11 basestealers.

The catcher will report to the Red Sox' minor league complex in Fort Myers, Fla., to begin rehab after having surgery.   

Gagne (toe) and Laperrierre (concussion) were injured in the Flyers' first-round series against the Devils. Without them, the B's will challenge Philly's penalty killers, but according to NHL.com, right wing Andreas Nodl could be the key to stopping a potentially explosive Boston power-play unit.

"I think Nodl gives us the best option if we need penalty-killers off the bench because he's killed penalties in the past and has done a good job at it," Laviolette told NHL.com. "It could still change from game to game."

Nodl, Darroll Powe and Claude Giroux are expected to see plenty of ice against the B's when the series kicks off on Saturday at the TD Garden, and they will try to maintain Philadelphia's postseason success on the penalty kill. The Flyers shut down a Devils power-play unit featuring perennial 40-goal scorer Ilya Kovalchuk in the team's first-round matchup, allowing New Jersey to convert just 8-of-29 attempts.

Flyers defenseman Bryan Coburn understands key players have suffered significant injuries, but he believes his team can thrive under pressure.

"Lappy is a good player and one of the best at what he does in that role," Coburn said of Laperriere, who is out indefinitely. "But we have guys who obviously have stepped up and played when he wasn't out there."

The Bruins' power-play unit of David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi converted 6-of-22 chances in the team's first-round series against the Sabres, and the addition of Savard could provide a significant spark to the team's offense.

Powe understands Philadelphia has stepped up its penalty killing in the playoffs.

"I think we all need to step it up now," Powe said. "For us to be as successful, as we have been, we're going to need to get in the way of shots."

That will be easier said than done with the B's new-and-improved power-play unit.

Buchholz has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his four starts this season, proving his worth to the Sox' rotation and making Terry Francona's decision to move Tim Wakefield to the bullpen that much more difficult.

The 25-year-old Buchholz showed his dominance in his most recent start, allowing one earned run in eight innings in the Sox' 2-1 victory in Toronto on Tuesday.

Buchholz' start could be a sign of things to come for the Red Sox, and may be just what the team needed to jump-start a rotation that has struggled to start the season.

The rotation showed its potential in Toronto, not only from Buchholz's dominance, but also from Lester's start the following day. The left-hander pitched seven shutout innings and struck out 11 to help Boston earn its first series sweep of the season.

Lester entered Wednesday’s start with a 6.23 ERA, but showed Boston's starters are capable of putting together back-to-back quality starts.

Can Lackey make it three in a row against the Orioles?

Lackey will make his second consecutive start against the O's on Friday. Lackey's 5.09 ERA has been disappointing, but a quality start at Camden Yards could help him turn his season around at the right time.

After the three-game set in Baltimore, the Red Sox return home to face a tough stretch that includes the Angels and Yankees before taking on the Tigers, Twins, Phillies and Rays later in the month. The Sox will need all five starters to pitch well if they hope to make up ground on Tampa Bay and New York in the AL East.  

Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his season debut Saturday, and a start against the Orioles could be just what the right-hander needs to begin his season well. Matsuzaka went 2-0 in three starts against the Orioles in 2008, holding O's hitters to a .215 batting average.

A healthy Matsuzaka has shown he can dominate opposing hitters, something he will need to do consistently if the Sox hope to keep pace with the division front-runners.

Matsuzaka isn't the only starter who will need to show consistency. The final piece to the Sox' rotation puzzle could be the most important: Josh Beckett. The righty has plenty to prove this season, not only because he has the highest ERA among Red Sox starters, but also to validate the four-year, $68 million extension he signed at the start of the season.

Sunday's start in Baltimore provides Beckett an excellent opportunity to right his ship and also help the Red Sox' rotation maintain momentum. The veteran is 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA in eight career starts at Camden Yards, and a strong outing against the O's could be just the boost he needs to regain his swagger.

Buchholz and Lester gave fans a preview of the team's rotation potential. Can Lackey, Dice-K and Beckett keep delivering?

Share your thoughts below. The best comments will be read on NESN's Red Sox Gameday Live or Red Sox Final.

April 29: Have Red Sox become too businesslike for their own good?

According to The Providence Journal, the first baseman was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday after hitting .355 with a .408 on-base percentage with Double-A Portland this season.

"It’s like, wow, I have a lot of butterflies in my stomach. That was the first thing," Anderson told the Journal. "The second thought was, yeah, this is going to be sweet. I’m excited."

Pawtucket manager Torey Lovullo wants Anderson to be the PawSox’ everyday first baseman, which will help Anderson develop into a productive major leaguer.

"He just needs to go in there and play the same type of baseball that he played at Portland," Lovullo said. "He’ll see quickly that the game isn’t that much different at this level. Maybe command the ball a tiny bit more from a pitching standpoint. I’m going to encourage him to be himself, go out there and have fun, and be a good teammate."

Anderson has come a long way in a short time with the Red Sox organization this year. The former 18th-round pick entered last season as the Red Sox’ top prospect, but his struggles in Portland made critics question his long-term future in the organization. 

Anderson has roared back to life with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 62 at-bats to start the season. Outfielder Josh Reddick is happy to see the strong performance from his fellow prospect.

"Last year was a really off year for him, so that’s kind of frustrating for him, I’m sure," Reddick said. "He’s turned it around, from what I’ve seen, so if he can come up here and help us out up here, we could sure use it, a little bit of spark."

Anderson’s promotion to the PawSox brings him one step closer to becoming a major league contributor in Boston. 

Kamara, a Kansas City Wizards striker, missed a goal less than six inches in front of an empty net against the Los Angeles Galaxy last Saturday. The contest ended in a scoreless tie.

The empty-net situation occurred roughly 15 minutes into the match. Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts left the net to block Wizards forward Davy Arnaud‘s shot. The ball deflected off Ricketts to Kamara, who was within inches of an empty net and an easy rebound goal.

However, the goal proved anything but a sure thing for Kamara.

The striker slipped on the wet field, fell over and pushed the ball into the net with his arm. Referee Hilario Grajeda called back the goal after Kamara’s handball.

Galaxy defender Gregg Bernhalter was stunned by the miss.

“It was one of the most unbelievable things I’ve seen in soccer,” Bernhalter said. “It was unfortunate for Kamara but it was handball and credit the linesman for seeing it.”

Check out the video below to see the miss.

According to the National Football Post, all signs point to the Raiders cutting ties with the former No. 1 overall pick in the near future.

The Raiders’ offseason moves suggest the team has lost faith in Russell as its long-term solution at quarterback.

Oakland signed quarterback Kyle Boller as a free agent and acquired Jason Campbell from the Redskins in a trade. Oakland now has five quarterbacks on its roster with starting experience: Boller, Campbell, Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye and Russell. While each quarterback has various strengths and weaknesses, Russell’s salary is three times more than the next closest quarterback on the Raiders' roster.

Russell has earned $39.45 million in three seasons with the Raiders, but has won only seven games in 25 starts. The former LSU Tiger is due nearly $10 million next season, but the Raiders can take his salary off their books if they cut Russell before the start of the season.

There is no guarantee Russell will be cut, but coach Tom Cable indicated the franchise has difficult choices ahead.

"There will be some decisions to be made here in the next month or so, whatever that is," Cable told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "We'll just leave it at that until we get through some of those decisions." 

The decision appears obvious, but when it comes to Al Davis and the Raiders, expect the unexpected.

Rajon Rondo

According to WEEI.com, Rivers considers Rondo to be the C's version of Jason Varitek, a confident play-caller who leads his team by example.

"He's light years [ahead of where he was], but a lot of that is just age, maturity," Rivers told the website. "I thought Game 3 was the best play-calling game in his career. He was like Varitek as far as calling the right pitch. He was phenomenal. That's where he’s improved."

Rondo is averaging 14.5 points and 9.8 assists in the first four games of Boston's Eastern Conference quarterfinal with the Heat, but Rondo has impressed his coach since the start of the season.

"He’s been terrific," Rivers said. "When everyone was injured, literally, Rondo had to do a lot of scoring. But since Ray [Allen] and Paul [Pierce] and Kevin [Garnett] are back and in rhythm, he's more of the facilitator. But he does the best job of a guy you could ask to do it. He's been huge in this series."

Rondo has won over other head coaches as well this season. The C's point guard made his first All-Star appearance, and even captured four votes for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award.

Rondo has thrived in his fourth season, but perhaps his greatest achievement has been earning Rivers' respect.

Rivers, a former All-Star point guard, likes his team's chances when Rondo's running the offense.

"He knows what I'm thinking," Rivers said. "He'll call a play, and you can sit down, and it's terrific."

According to the Chicago Tribune, Pantelis Kotsiopoulos, Bradley's former Chicago landlord, has filed a lawsuit against Bradley and claims the former Cub caused nearly $14,000 in damage to his condo and owes roughly $44,000 in unpaid rent.

"I don't take these things personally," Kotsiopoulos told the Tribune. "But we expect to be treated like we treat our tenants."

Bradley was traded to the Mariners last December after he hit .257 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in his only season with the Cubs. The outfielder has denied Kotsiopoulos' allegations and is requesting at least $30,000 from his former landlord for his security deposit plus claims that Kotsiopoulos did not notify him of property damage after his departure in a timely manner.

Kostopoulos has been unable to rent the condo since Bradley left, and was happy to root for the White Sox when Bradley made an appearance in Chicago with his new team this past weekend.

Bradley, baseball's self-proclaimed Kanye West, declined comment on the lawsuit. The outfielder has hit .174 in 15 games with Seattle this season, and did not play in the White Sox' three-game sweep of the Mariners in Chicago.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has not officially endorsed Qatar’s bid to host the soccer tournament, but feels the Arab world deserves the opportunity to host a World Cup, Forbes.com reports.

Nine nations have bid to host the 2022 tournament, but the emergence of Doha, Qatar's capital city, may help the emirate's World Cup chances.

Qatar officials have spent nearly $3 billion to build new stadiums in Doha. Tennis, motor racing and cricket are being played at the venues currently, and the stadiums will be used to host the 2011 Asian Cup in January.

Qatar has not bid to host the 2018 World Cup, but has made endeavors to host other international sporting events. The emirate made a pitch to host the 2016 Summer Olympics but lost to Rio de Janeiro.

Qatar would make history if it earns the right to host the World Cup. The emirate would be the first to host the World Cup in the Arab world, and would also be the first to host an indoor World Cup.

According to WEEI.com, the Pats signed Central Michigan receiver Bryan Anderson and Mississippi State defensive lineman Kyle Love, both of whom went undrafted.

Anderson set an NCAA record by recording a reception in 54 consecutive games. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound receiver is one of two players in CMU history to earn All-MAC honors four straight seasons, and completed his college career ranked third in MAC history in receptions and fourth in receiving yards.

Love adds versatility to the Patriots' defensive line. The former Bulldog has recorded 71 tackles in 44 career games, and has played both defensive tackle and nose tackle in four collegiate seasons.

Both players face an uphill battle to claim roster spots with the 2010 Patriots. Third-round pick Taylor Price will compete with Anderson for a roster spot, while seventh-round selections Brandon Deaderick and Kade Weston will challenge Love in training camp.

According to the Boston Herald, Fenway will host a soccer match between the Rangers Football Club and the Celtic Football Club of the Scottish Premier League on July 21.

Patrick B. Moscaritolo, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, feels the exhibition game will help the Red Sox and the city.

"This is a huge event for Boston," Moscaritolo told the Herald. "These are very well-known teams with European fans that travel just like the way Red Sox Nation shows up at Sox games throughout the United States."

Red Sox owner John Henry has found ways to make Fenway Park more profitable since purchasing the team eight years ago. Neil Diamond, The Rolling Stones and Jimmy Buffett have performed at Fenway in the past, and the historic ballpark even hosted this year's NHL Winter Classic featuring a Bruins-Flyers matchup.

According to Moscaritolo, the soccer match gives the Red Sox an opportunity to reach a new audience, and could generate $35 million in revenue. 

"They are extending the Red Sox and Fenway's brand to an international audience," Moscaritolo said.

The Pats have signed 325-pound defensive lineman Gerard Warren. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The signing was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Warren has recorded 228 tackles and 32 sacks in nine NFL seasons with the Browns, Raiders and Broncos. The former first-round pick was selected three spots ahead of former Patriot Richard Seymour in the 2001 NFL draft. 

Bill Belichick feels Warren will be a contributor in the Patriots' defense.

"He's been a very productive player through the course of his career, especially in recent years, roughly a 70 percent play-time player, certainly similar to Damione Lewis," Belichick said. "[They have] a different style of play, but the same kind of productive player. [Warren] will add to that group. He gives us a talented player in there that's been very productive, and I think he'll be a good addition to our group."

Warren has played at right and left defensive tackle in his career. Warren should compete with Lewis for playing time along the team's defensive line. 

Tickets for Game 6 are on sale. They are available for purchase at the TD Garden box office, on the Boston Bruins’ official site and via Ticketmaster.

The Bruins suffered a 4-1 loss to the Sabres in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, and now lead the series three games to two.

The B’s hope to wrap up the series in Boston.

According to The Grandstand, Granderson's blog on Yahoo Sports, the center fielder visited a Bronx-area Target before the team's 10-game road trip to pick up bathroom, kitchen and bedroom items that would make him more comfortable in his new home.

"I think I was able to get everything I needed to get through the year, though I am holding out hope that Martha Stewart would send me over some baked goods after reading her tweets about me this week," Granderson wrote. "Maybe it would've helped to just have given her my batting gloves."

Granderson admitted he faced difficulties finding a place to live in New York.

"Finding a place in New York isn't exactly like getting a place in the Detroit area," Granderson wrote. "There are so many more options, and so many other things I need to consider here."

The former Tiger played the first six seasons of his major league career with Detroit before the Yankees acquired him in a three-team trade last December. Granderson understands Detroit and New York are very different, but Yankees fans have helped him adjust to life in the city.

"The people in New York have been very warm and welcoming, and I want to thank all of them for helping to make this a smooth transition for me," Granderson wrote. "I already feel like it is home."

New York's new center fielder has given fans plenty of reasons to celebrate. Granderson is hitting .283 with two home runs and seven RBIs, and he started his Yankee career by hitting a home run in his first at-bat in pinstripes — agains the Red Sox on opening night — helping fans forget the departures of Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.

Shopping at Target has helped Granderson adjust to New York, but his success has helped him avoid becoming a target of passionate Yankees' fans.

According to the Daily Illini, the Chicago Cubs and Northwestern University announced Friday that Wrigley Field will host a football game between Illinois and Northwestern on Nov. 20.

The venue will feature its first football game in 40 years, and the first contest between collegiate squads since 1938. Northwestern and Illinois last played each other at the Friendly Confines in 1923.

Northwestern will be the home team for the contest, and gets 30,000 of the 42,000 available tickets. Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald expects tremendous support from Northwestern fans when they face their intrastate rival at Wrigley.

"I believe, contrary to some popular beliefs, that this place will be purple and white," Fitzgerald told the paper. "I expect all 30,000 to be purple and white. Otherwise, people will get a personal e-mail and a knock on the door from me."

Northwestern fans will have a better opportunity to watch their team play at Wrigley because the tickets will be sold as they would for a typical Wildcats home game. Illinois may receive only 3,000 tickets for the game, and the remaining 9,000 seats will be made available to Cubs fans.

Wildcats fans may fill the majority of Wrigley's seats, but Illinois head coach Ron Zook understands the game provides a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both schools, regardless of who wins.

"This is a great opportunity for both the Illinois and Northwestern football programs," Zook said in a statement. "The mystique of Wrigley Field will make this an unforgettable experience for the teams and fans of both schools."

Wrigley Field has become a popular venue for non-baseball events, and even hosted the 2009 NHL Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. In addition to hosting the November matchup between the Fighting Illini and Wildcats, the Dave Matthews Band and Paul McCartney will entertain fans at Wrigley this year.

Cubs president Crane Kennedy appreciates the opportunity to make Wrigley Field more than a ballpark.

"We like to stretch our skin a little bit," Kenney said. "There's been a lot of different events here."

And it looks like they'll be a lot more.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

According to FoxSports.com, Earnhardt will resurrect his father's No. 3 car at Daytona in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on July 2.

Earnhardt Jr. has driven the No. 88 AMP Energy /National Guard Chevrolet Impala SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup for Hendrick Motorsports, but will drive the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet in a joint effort between JR Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. The No. 3 car will feature a Hendrick Motorsports engine, FoxSports.com reports, citing team sources.

Like his father, Earnhardt Jr. has a personal services contract with Wrangler, the first company to sponsor his father, who also drove a Wrangler-sponsored car in 16 Busch Series (now Nationwide Series) races.

An official announcement is expected on April 29.

According to ProFootballTalk.com, Seattle's new coach kept fans guessing by using tweets referencing songs suggesting how the team would use each of its first-round draft picks.

"We're gonna tweet songs thru out the day to give u hints about our draft picks… try 2 figure it out!" Carroll said via Twitter.

The former USC coach's song selections included Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" and Tupac's "California Love."

The Seahawks held two first-round picks, No. 6 and No. 14, and the team selected Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung with the sixth pick and Texas safety Earl Thomas with the 14th selection.

Carroll used a popular Ice Cube hit to show his satisfaction with his team’s selections.

"Today was a good day!!!" Carroll wrote after the team picked Thomas.

According to WENN.com, Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, dropped it like it's hot on the March 26 edition of Larry King Live. The rapper relates to Woods' personal struggles, and he hopes Tiger and Elin Nordgren can resolve their differences.

"You know, that's a proximal issue with him and his wife. And I feel like it's been blown out of proportion because he was looked at as somebody who was perfect," Snoop told King. "But at the same time, nobody is perfect and everybody makes mistakes. So let's let him get his life back with his wife and move on."

Snoop understands the couple's situation better than most. He and his wife, Shante Taylor, separated in 2004, but the couple renewed their wedding vows two years ago.

The rap legend admits he cheated on Taylor after they were originally married in 1997, but he and Taylor were able to work things out.

"It's beautiful [being back with Taylor]. We've been on the right track. Really, we don't look back no more. We're all about moving ahead," Snoop said on the show. "It was hard for me because I realized that's where I wanted to be and where I needed to be. So I had to get my mind right and focus on what was important to me."

Snoop thinks Woods can make amends for his indiscretions. 

"I think he's going to do real good in life, you know, just getting his life back right and understanding what's important," he said. "Because sometimes it takes a negative situation like that for you to really turn it into a positive."

The National Football League announced its 2010 regular-season schedule Tuesday, and New England fans will be treated to at least five nationally televised games. The Patriots’ 2010 opponents have a combined record of 136-120, and nine of New England’s games will be against teams that finished last season with a winning record.

The Patriots sport what is now rated as the sixth-toughest schedule in the NFL. The team opens its season at home against Chad Ochocinco and the Bengals on Sept. 12, followed by its first visit to the new Meadowlands Stadium to face LaDainian Tomlinson and the Jets on Sept. 19.

New England will return home Sept. 26 to battle the Bills and will make its first Monday Night Football appearance against Brandon Marshall and the Dolphins in Miami on Oct. 4.

The Patriots will need all the rest they can get in their bye week during Week 5 because they will next face two AFC playoff teams in consecutive weeks. On Oct. 17, the Pats will host Ray Lewis and the Ravens at Gillette in a rematch of last season’s AFC wild-card game, followed by a date with Philip Rivers and the Chargers in San Diego on Oct. 24.

Will Brett Favre make another appearance in New England? Find out as Gillette hosts its first Halloween game when the Pats face Adrian Peterson and the Vikings on Oct. 31.

Patriots fans can watch Bill Belichick battle Eric Mangini and the Browns in Cleveland on Nov. 7, which will be followed by a matchup against another AFC North opponent when New England faces the Steelers at home on Nov. 14.

Manning makes his first visit to Gillette in four years in a Nov. 21 contest, which will be followed by a Thanksgiving Day appearance against Matthew Stafford and the Lions four days later in Detroit.

Next up, the Patriots will make their second Monday night appearance when they host the Jets on Dec. 6. Then they will face back-to-back NFC North opponents, squaring off against Jay Cutler and the Bears in the Windy City on Dec. 12 and taking on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in a Sunday night tilt at Gillette on Dec. 19.

The Patriots will close out the 2010 regular season against AFC East opponents when they travel to Buffalo on Dec. 26 then return home to face Miami on Jan. 2.

Check out the complete 2010 Patriots schedule below:

According to FoxSports.com, authorities announced last week that they had seized more than 1,700 pounds of cocaine, 15,000 ecstasy tablets and roughly 10 pounds of hashish that were hidden in a fake Dakar Rally truck. Police detained the truck in Spain after it finished the race through Argentina and Chile and was shipped back to the Spanish port of Bilbao.

"The vehicle had been totally transformed to adapt it to its supposed participation in the competition as a support truck, with publicity and logos of the event painted on its side," police said in a statement.

The unnamed suspects are reportedly part of a drug trafficking ring on the island of Ibiza, a popular tourist attraction located off the coast of Valencia, Spain.

The truck was loaded with false compartments that were filled with drugs during one of the stages of the two-week race.

"The drug trafficking ring even provided the vehicle with all the necessary technical and logistical material, including the official uniform of the competition," authorities said.

In addition to the drugs, police found two guns and approximately $64,000 in cash in the truck.