The news today of Orlando Hudson's torn ligament has certainly ripped at our hopes of a playoff run. But our chances are not destroyed! "Nothing to worry about, just maybe a couple of days," he said. How he'll be gone for only days with that injury, and not weeks, would baffle me... and interestingly, "Diamondbacks officials declined comment." The fact there's no team word on this likely means they're still discussing it with the medical staff and it could be a more serious injury.  Jack Magruder has more on Orlando, the injury, and the options at second base.  More discussion follows in the diary.

Another diary-worthy story this morning is that of Rick Ankiel rumored to have been delivered HGH. This feel-good story has suddenly turned sour. There's no doubt he'll get booed at the plate all weekend. (Here's hoping that affects his performance.)

The Republic also discusses Derrick Hall's push for the All-Star Game to come to the valley. The next NL openings are 2011 and 2013. Chase and Tropicana are the only two stadiums built between '91 and '01 to have not yet hosted the event. The improvements in downtown seem to be helping the chances of the city. More discussion here.

In player-related news, there two articles in the Republic this morning about Miguel Montero (quick Q and A) and Doug Davis (discussing his preparation strategies). MLB.com has an article on our Double-A duo, Reynolds and Upton.

The game today looks to be a goodie, with Adam Wainwright opposing Brandon Webb.

**Late Breaking News**
As posted by unnamedDBacksfan in this diary, the Diamondbacks have signed veteran reliever Bob Wickman to help bolster the bullpen. He's expected to be there today. This... is an interesting move. His numbers up front look decent. Let's hope rumors of his attitude are just that, rumors.