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Baseball-Major League Baseball roundup

March 3 (The Sports Xchange) - New York's Alex Rodriguez will take a big step in his comeback from his PED suspension when he faces live pitching for the first time in 17 months Wednesday. The 39-year-old Rodriguez will be in the lineup at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., when the Yankees play the Philadelphia Phillies. - - Alex Johnson, the American League batting champion in 1970 with the Angels, died Saturday in Detroit at age 72. Johnson's playing career lasted 13 years in the major leagues. In 1,322 games with eight different teams, he had a .288 batting average with 78 home runs and 113 stolen bases. - - The Atlanta Braves went into spring training knowing that there would be a battle for playing time in left field. Now the starter for opening day at the other two outfield spots is also in question. Center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. will miss at least the first month of the season with a foot injury detected early in camp and right fielder Nick Markakis may not be ready for the opener in Miami on April 6 as he continues to rehab from December neck surgery. - - Chase Utley sat out the exhibition season opener on Tuesday and the Phillies second baseman will likely miss at least a week of Grapefruit League games because of a right ankle injury. Utley is hampered by a sprained right ankle that he sustained in late January while working out. While he has been able to take part in hitting and fielding drills, he has been held out of base-running drills. - - Jeff McKnight, a utility player who was a member of the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets for six seasons, died Sunday. He was 52. McKnight, who battled leukemia for 10 years, played every position except pitcher and catcher during his career. The jack of all trades played in the big leagues from 1989 to 1994 and compiled a .233 average with 34 RBIs in 218 games. (Editing by Frank Pingue)