By Evan Brunell

Josh Johnson is a very good pitcher. He's also very injury-prone, only once cracking 30 starts in a season despite debuting back in 2005 as a 21-year-old. If healthy, Johnson would be a perennial Cy Young candidate, as evidenced by his fifth-place finish last year, when he racked up a 2.30 ERA in 28 starts.

Alas, Johnson only got through nine starts in 2011 -- with a scintillating 1.64 ERA -- before landing on the shelf with right shoulder inflammation that continues to keep him out. In fact, it's been widely believed that Johnson was done for the year -- except that the Palm Beach Post says the righty could be back in September.

"We'll try to start building him back up,' GM Mike Hill said Monday. Johnson will begin a throwing program on Tuesday in which he long tosses for a week before moving to the mound. Once the process on the mound finishes, Johnson would need a handful of rehab starts before rejoining the Marlins. However, while this all sounds optimistic, keep in mind that Johnson tried to start the program in June before being shut down.

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed.

By Matt Snyder

Marlins ace Josh Johnson is facing a big test in the upcoming two weeks, in terms of if he'll be able to return to action this season. He hasn't thrown a baseball this entire month, but reportedly really wants to pitch again for the Marlins this season. He has been working to strengthen his right shoulder and has reportedly done so. Now, he's believed to be close to a throwing program. The plan is for Johnson to begin a throwing program "later this week or early next." (The Fish Pond)

If Johnson's able to do that, he'll be back in September. If not, he's likely out for the remainder of the season.

Johnson was one of the best pitchers in baseball through six weeks of the 2011 season. He was 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings before succumbing to right shoulder inflammation. He was on his way to a third straight All-Star appearance and looked like a Cy Young candidate for the second consecutive season.

Unfortunately, Johnson is no stranger to lost seasons. He had Tommy John surgery in 2007.

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed.

By Matt Snyder

Marlins ace Josh Johnson has been sidelined for quite a while with a shoulder injury, so a visit to Dr. James Andrews Wednesday could have brought pretty bad news. Instead, the MRI and examination of his right shoulder came out with "best-case scenario" results (Fish Tank blog). Johnson received a cortisone shot and will resume his throwing program in 10 days. There is currently no specific timetable for Johnson's return to the Florida starting rotation, but he's definitely not out for the season.

Before the shoulder injury, Johnson was among the NL leaders in several pitching categories. He's 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings. He hasn't made a start since May 16. The Johnson injury is obviously not the only reason, but it's worth noting the Marlins are 10-29 since he's been out. They were 24-16 prior to his injury.

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed.

By C. Trent Rosecrans

BASEBALL TODAY: NESN.com's Tony Lee joins Lauren Shehadi to talk about tonight's Red Sox-Phillies matchup, as well as the Brewers' struggles in the Bronx and the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates.

BELTRAN OK WITH TRADE: Carlos Beltran told the New York Post he would waive his no-trade rights if the Mets wanted to move him, but it would have to be the right situation.

"The team is always going to do what is best for the team, and as a player you have to make decision if the trade makes sense or not," Beltran told the Post.

The Mets are 40-39, but 9 1/2 games behind the Phillies and five games behind the Braves in the National League East. They're also five games back in the wild card, trailing Atlanta, Arizona, St. Louis and Pittsburgh and tied with Cincinnati.

Beltran is in the final season of his contract, and the Mets have already agreed not to offer him arbitration, which means neither the Mets nor any other team that acquires him for the stretch run will get free-agent compensation if Beltran signs elsewhere after the season.

The 34-year-old is hitting .281/.373/.489 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI this season. While he has an injury history, when healthy, he's still one of baseball's premier players.

SETBACK FOR JOHNSON: Bad news for the Marlins: Right-hander Josh Johnson will have his shoulder examined by Dr. James Andrews today. Johnson reported stiffness in his shoulder after throwing a bullpen Friday. Johnson is in the second year of a four-year, $39 million contract. [Miami Herald]

BUCHHOLZ DELAYED: Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz is unlikely to make his July 4 start against the Blue Jays. Buchholz is eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday, but he may need more time to recover from his lower back strain. [Boston Globe]

BASTARDO TO CLOSE: With yet another Phillies closer on the disabled list, lefty Antonio Bastardo will get the first shot at closing, manager Charlie Manuel said. Right-hander Michael Stutes could get the call if a particularly tough right-handed lineup is scheduled for the ninth. Ryan Madson went on the DL with a bruised right hand. [MLB.com]

SOX STANDING PAT?: MLB.com's Peter Gammons tweets the Red Sox can't add payroll this season. It looks as if they'll have to make due with that paltry $160 million payroll. How can they compete?

GENTLEMAN'S NAME: Brewers outfielder Nyjer Morgan explains his "gentleman's name" -- Tony Plush, also known as T-Plush, of course. [Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel]

BOURJOS BLOOMING: An adjustment to his stance and swing has paid off for Angels center-fielder Peter Bourjos, who is hitting .328 in June with 14 strikeouts after hitting just .176 with 31 strikeouts in May. [Orange County Register]

TIME TO SIGN GORDON: Is it time for the Royals to lock up Alex Gordon? The one-time savior of the franchise has served his time as a bust before busting out this season, hitting .294/.363/.481 so far in 2011. [Kansas City Star]

OGANDO OPTION: The Rangers could option Alexi Ogando to Triple-A until after the All-Star break, but just to get rest. After starting the season 7-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his first 12 starts, the former reliever has gone 0-3 with a 9.31 ERA in his last three starts. The Rangers could make a move if Ogando doesn't pitch well Friday against the Marlins. [MLB.com]

Rockies WANT 2B HELP: The Rockies are targeting the Dodgers' Jamey Carroll and other second basemen, but probably won't be able to afford the price of another starter. The team could also look at Orlando Cabrera if the Indians fall out of the race next month. Both Jonathan Herrera and Chris Nelson are slumping for the Rockies. [Denver Post]

MORE REIMOLD: Orioles manager Buck Showalter wants to use Nolan Reimold more. Maybe he should talk to the manager and make that happen. [MLB.com]

BULLPEN BUBBLES: Who better to judge a bubblegum taste-test than relievers? That's at least what the Washingtonian thought. The winners were Bubble Yum and Dubble Bubble. The video, though, is the key.

WHO DOESN'T LIKE NICKELBACK AND CREED?: Yeah, we've all thought it and said it to our buddies, but Riley Breckenridge, drummer for the band Thrice, wrote it for OC Weekly -- MLB players have terrible taste in music.

ANOTHER CALL FOR REPLAY: Good column by Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram calling for replay in baseball. I agree with LeBreton that umpiring hasn't suddenly gotten worse; it's that replay has gotten better with HD and every game televised, so we see the mistakes more.

FRANKRUPT: So those killjoys at MLB.com won't let you order a Chapter 11 Dodgers jersey, well, you can still get these cool "Frankrupt" T-shirts.

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed.

By Evan Brunell

The Marlins placed ace Josh Johnson on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, a sudden reminder that as dominating as Johnson can be, he can't seem to get over the injury hump.

Johnson revealed to the Miami Herald that he's been dealing with the injury all season, but it would always dissipate during warmups -- so he never even told the team. During Thursday's bullpen session, however, the stiffness would not go away, so he finally told Florida, which sent him for a MRI that revealed inflammation. He was immediately placed on the disabled list, even though he is likely only to require the minimum stay, which would allow a return on June 1, where he would face the Diamondbacks.

"It took everything I had to go and say something," Johnson said. "It's just kind of the way I am, the competitor I am. But, once I did it, it almost felt better, like something lifted off my shoulders. I'm kind of at peace with it. Now I can get it right and get back to feeling good like I was at the beginning of the season."

Florida made the call for Jay Buente from Triple-A, transferring infielder Donnie Murphy to the 60-day disabled list to clear a move. Buente has made five starts on the year after converting from relief mere weeks into the season. He's been impressive, as the 25-year-old leads his Triple-A league with a 1.94 ERA.

Johnson, who has a 1.64 ERA in nine starts on the year, had only pitched five innings in his last start on Monday against the Mets. Johnson denied his injury had anything to do with his removal, as he felt fine. During the game, he was struck in the right forearm with a one-hopper, but X-rays revealed no damage.

"I felt fine," he said. "Everything was coming out the same. Once I get loose it's loose. But it's been taking forever [recently]. I just knew that it didn't feel right. it was really sore. It was actually my last bullpen where i started getting really sore. i woke up the net morning and I was like, 'Man, doesn't feel great.'

"There's no good time [for an injury], but this is probably the best time, early in the season," he added. "[We can] catch it before it carries on into other starts. It's a good time to catch it."

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed.

By Matt Snyder

Marlins' ace starting pitcher Josh Johnson had his shortest outing of the 2011 season to this point Monday night, when he exited after five innings and 85 pitches. Considering he'd only allowed one run, it appeared he wasn't pulled due to ineffectiveness and that turned out to be the case. He left with what is only being called a bruised right arm.

Johnson was struck with a hard-hit ball off the bat of Carlos Beltran in the fifth inning. Johnson was tended to by the trainer, took a few warmup pitches and stayed in the game. He did get a strikeout and lineout to end the inning after being struck, so it didn't seem to be bothering him just yet. Still, the team did announce to reporters on hand that he left with the bruise, so it's possible it tightened up on him while sitting in the dugout between half-innings. The issue in the throwing arm wouldn't be pain, but Johnson's ability to pitch effectively.

Johnson entered the game with a 1.63 ERA and is clearly one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed.

By Evan Brunell

BEST MATCHUP: Get excited. Tuesday night's best matchup pits Roy Halladay against Josh Johnson. In the earlier going, JJ has been the better pitcher with a 1.68 ERA, while Halladay will look to push his ERA under 2 from 2.19. Johnson is coming off a 7 1/3 inning, 5-run effort against the Cardinals in which he drew his first loss of the year while Halladay coughed up two in seven innings to beat the Nationals. Last season, Halladay's perfect game came against Johnson on May 29, and this is the first time Halladay will toe the mound in Miami since. There's a bit of a mentor-mentee relationship as Johnson has spoken at length about how much he looks up to Halladay and was able to watch one of Halladay's bullpen sessions last season. Phillies at Marlins, 7:10 p.m. ET (Watch live)

GONE STREAKING: Jacoby Ellsbury will look to push his hitting streak to 19 as the Red Sox hit the road with a trip to Toronto before the first Red Sox-Yankees series of the year will dominate the media. Meanwhile, Jon Lester looks to win his fifth straight start which will propel Boston to .500 for the first time all season. It will have been the latest in a season the Red Sox reach .500 since 1996, when it took until Aug. 22. Lester will be opposed by rookie Kyle Drabek. Red Sox at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. ET (Watch live)

BIG Z DOMINATION: Chris Carpenter has been one of the best pitchers in the game over the past decade, but he can't seem to solve Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs. The Cubs are 5-2 in Carpenter-Zambrano tilts and haven't lost a game since July 22, 2005, as the Chicago Tribune reports. Weird, right? That trend may very well continue Tuesday night as Big Z is 4-1 on the year with a 4.23 ERA while Carpenter is searching for his first win amid two losses and a 4.19 ERA. Oh, and Cardinals shortstop Ryan Theriot returns to his old stomping grounds after saying he was finally "on the right side of the rivalry" and being threatened with a knockdown pitch. Cardinals at Cubs, 8:05 p.m. ET (Watch live)

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed. 

By Matt Snyder

WEST AT IT AGAIN: Another game, another ejection by Joe West's awful excuse for an umpiring crew. Monday night, Ron Gardenhire of the Twins was West's victim. MLB Network studio analyst Larry Bowa said MLB executive Joe Torre needs to find a way to get West under control. You know I agree, and here's a link to my rant from last week on West's crew.

UH ... REALLY? During Justin Verlander's no-hitter in Toronto, Blue Jays' outfielder Juan Rivera ran by the mound and told Verlander he was just "getting lucky." Verlander even confirmed this after the game. "He was probably just trying to get under my skin," said the righty. (sportsnet.ca ) I know sometimes things are said due to frustration, so maybe Rivera backed off the comments later. Only he didn't. Instead he stood behind the remark. Look, there are certainly times where a run-of-the-mill pitcher has everything break his way and throws a no-no, but Verlander now has done it twice and is one of the elite arms in the game. There's no other way to spin the situation than to say that Rivera was just jealous.

QUITE A LEAP: From running a small hot dog stand to the Wrigley Field public address announcer within a few days? Yep, that's what Andrew Belleson did. Pretty cool story. (Chicago Tribune )

OFFENSIVELY CHALLENGED: The Twins have had a putrid offense pretty much all season. Before Monday's game against the Red Sox, a reporter asked manager Ron Gardenhire about Francisco Liriano's next start, saying "you don't need another no-hitter." Gardenhire's reply? "We don't? Who are you kidding?" (Twins Now via Twitter)

MONEY MATTERS: While Chris Young's season -- and maybe even career -- hangs in the balance, the Mets still have money woes. Thus, it's worth looking at Young's contract. He has a base salary of $1.1 million with incentives that could have pushed the deal all the way up to $4.5 million. He obviously hasn't reached any of those yet, so it's looking increasingly likely the Mets will only owe the initial $1.1 million. (ESPN New York )

MAD MILTON: When Milton Bradley was clipped by the Mariners Monday, the reaction across the baseball-loving world was anywhere from jubilation to relief to mockery. The always-great Geoff Baker of Mariners Blog (Seattle Times ) offers up a very thoughtful piece on Bradley, in that now he should be trying to figure out what makes him happy and get himself straightened out. It's very fair. While pointing out that Bradley has never been accountable for his actions, Baker also points out that teams continuing to sign Bradley have been enabling his behavior instead of forcing him to solve his personal demons. Meanwhile, Jerry Brewer of the same outlet discusses that Bradley's career is probably over. I tend to agree. When he was productive, it wasn't surprising that teams would give him a shot. But, to put it succinctly, he sucks now. There's no reason for anyone to give him a shot.

TURNIN' BACK THE CLOCK: Hanley Ramirez has had an awful beginning to the 2011 season. Back in 2009, he hit .342 with 24 home runs and 106 RBI, finishing second in MVP voting. So Hanley went back into his storage closet and found his bats from 2009. He started using them Sunday and has since gone 3-9 with two runs scored. He also scorched a pair of balls Sunday that didn't work out (one was a foul ball that easily had home run distance, the other was a line drive double-play that was right at the shortstop). Hey, if he thinks that will help, it very well might. Baseball is such a mental game, any little adjustment could get things on track. (Fish Bytes )

THE ROAD BACK: Josh Hamilton has been out several weeks with an injured shoulder, but he's going to take batting practice Friday (Evan Grant via Twitter).

MASKED MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN: "We are constantly looking for ways to connect and engage with our great fan base," said Angels vice president of sales and marketing, Robert Alvarado. And Tuesday night in Anaheim, the Angels will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for "largest gathering of people wearing costume masks." Specifically, everyone in attendance is going to get an Angels wrestling mask. Sorry, this is stupid. Can't the fans just go watch a baseball game? (MLB.com )

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsmlb on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed.