Defamation suit coming from Clemens?

Roger Clemens' lawyer says he will talk with his client about whether to press ahead with a defamation suit following a wave of unpleasant publicity in the wake of reports linking the pitcher to numerous women.

"He's getting pummeled," attorney Rusty Hardin said Friday.

The Daily News reported Monday that Clemens had a decade-long relationship with country star Mindy McCready that began when she was a 15-year-old aspiring singer and the pitcher was with the Boston Red Sox. McCready was quoted by the News as saying: "I cannot refute anything in the story."

In subsequent days, the newspaper has linked Clemens, a married father of four, to former Manhattan bartender Angela Moyer and Paulette Dean Daly, a former wife of champion golfer John Daly.

-- Former all-star closer Derrick Turnbow was cut Friday by the Milwaukee Brewers. Turnbow was 0-1 with a 15.63 ERA in eight games this season and gave up 6 runs in two-thirds of an inning Wednesday at Wrigley Field.

-- Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire will miss the three-game weekend series against Detroit after his older brother died suddenly at his Oklahoma home.

-- Despite struggling in his fourth rehab start, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Mark Mulder expects to rejoin the rotation when his 30-day rehab assignment is over later this month. The 30-year-old left-hander allowed 9 runs, 7 earned, in 3¿ innings while pitching Wednesday for Triple-A Memphis.

-- After treatment on his right shoulder, New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada will be sidelined for at least five weeks.