BASEBALL ROUNDUP | News and notes

Pirates: Oliver Perez will start the season opener April 3 rather than Zach Duke. The unexpected move -- Perez has pitched only once for Pittsburgh this spring after spending most of the month with Mexico in the World Baseball Classic -- means Duke will start April 5 in Milwaukee and the home opener April 10 against Los Angeles. Perez is trying to bounce back from a disappointing season after the lefty was one of baseball's top young power pitchers in 2004. Duke figured to start the opener, but Tracy didn't want to put that kind of pressure on a 22-year-old pitcher who wasn't in the majors on opening day last year.
Nationals: Alfonso Soriano and the Nationals were stuck in a holding pattern Tuesday. The team had a day off, and no one seems to know whether he will agree to move from second base to left field. It's not the first time Soriano's career has been affected by a proposed position change. He was a shortstop in the minors, then moved to second base late in spring training before his rookie season with the New York Yankees in 2001, when Chuck Knoblauch accepted a shift from second to left field. Soriano wound up becoming an All-Star at second for New York. Then, in 2004, he was shipped to Texas in the deal that sent Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees (where Rodriguez moved from shortstop to third base). There was talk that spring of moving Soriano to the outfield, because the Rangers already had a second baseman in Michael Young. But the day before the first full-squad spring workout, Young offered to move over to Rodriguez's old spot at shortstop. Texas traded Soriano to Washington this off-season, and he was to make his first appearance in a Nationals uniform Monday night in an exhibition game against the Dodgers. He was listed on a lineup sheet in left field -- the spot Washington wants him to play -- but he refused to go into the game. Another big moment comes today, when the Nationals travel to Jupiter for an exhibition game against the Cardinals. Soriano is expected to be penciled into the lineup in left field again.
Giants: Barry Bonds was excused from the Tuesday's game against the Athletics and is expected back in the lineup tonight. Bonds traveled to his home in the Los Angeles area to spend time with his family during the Giants' off day Monday. A team spokesman said the San Francisco left fielder wasn't able to get back in time to join the team for batting practice before the Giants played host to the A's at Scottsdale Stadium. Bonds cleared his possible absence with manager Felipe Alou beforehand.
Associated Press
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