Cla Meredith was about to be uprooted again. He was sitting on a couch in the San Diego Padres’ office, where all he knew was that he had been traded. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise—the life of any major-league baseball player is nomadic, especially for a middle reliever with a unique sidearm throw. This time was different, though. He had made a second home in San Diego and gotten to know his teammates. He had a 5-month-old daughter, Addy.

NEW YORK—Cla Meredith made his Baltimore Orioles debut yesterday, pitching a scoreless seventh inning three days after the Richmond native (Meadowbrook High, VCU) was traded from the San Diego Padres. By the time he entered, the Yankees were on their way to a 6-4 victory, their sixth consecutive. A.J. Burnett won his fourth straight decision and Nick Swisher had a big game with his bat and glove in the victory.

SAN DIEGO—Manny Ramirez will be back in the big leagues tonight after a 50-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy. His return should be nothing short of a spectacle. It’ll be the start of the Fourth of July weekend, and thousands of blue-clad Los Angeles Dodgers fans are expected to be at sold-out Petco Park to support the dreadlocked slugger in the opener of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres.