The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles meet in a three-game series this weekend. These two teams are division rivals in the AL East and it should be a solid series as these two teams have had decent starts to the season.

The Yankees are an 8-1 favorite to win the World Series in MLB Futures but don’t forget to check out live betting USA for some in play action.

The AL East is definitely one of the tougher divisions in Major League Baseball as they have a lot of talent in the division. The Yankees are atop the division with a 9-6 record on the season. They are the only team in the division with a record better than .500.

The Orioles are at 7-9 on the season, but that is actually a better start than many people thought they’d have. With so many talented teams, most people thought they would be in the cellar of the division, but they are still 2 games ahead of the Red Sox in the standings.

The Orioles have a number of veteran hitters that have been stars in the past and may have the potential to be good again. Vlad Guerrero, Andruw Jones and Derrick Lee are all former all-stars and could find their place again with the Orioles. If they do, they’ll be a tough match for any team they face this season.

The Yankees have played 11 of their 15 games at home this season and they’ll have to show that they can win on the road against the Orioles. They are just 1-3 on the road to this point in the season and they may struggle as they head out to Baltimore.

Right-hander Brad Penny of St. Louis Cardinals is optimistic that he will pitch again this season, although he is not sure when exactly he will get the opportunity.

Since late May, Penny sidelined with an upper back injury. For about a week, he has played catch every day, but the team has yet to schedule a bullpen session.

Penny told the press, “Just playing catch. No changed status for me, at all. I’ll be able to tell you something when I find out.”

Than Penny, who is 3-4 with a 3.23 ERA in nine starts, Manager Tony La Russa seemed more enthusiastic. In the MLB offseason, Penny signed a one-year, $7.5 million free agent contract and he is hungry to return to a rotation bolstered by the trade deadline acquisition of Jake Westbrook.

Penny said, “I hope so. I’ll do everything I can. But like I said, I’ve got to test it. It’s not like when you throw on flat ground, just regular catch.”

Against the Houston Astros, the opener of a three-game series was the 61st game that Penny has missed this season. Since late May, the Cardinals have also been without Kyle Lohse, filling in with Jeff Suppanand Blake Hawksworth.

Start coming off forearm surgery on Thursday, Lohse is set to throw his third rehab with Double-A Springfield and could return next week.Penny was definitely not being counted out the rest of the season, said La Russa.

La Russa said, “Yeah, he’s making noise. He’s feeling pretty good, but he’s a lot of steps away. He definitely isn’t done for the season, in his mind or in ours.”

Stay tuned for more information about Brad’s injury and how it may effect the St. Louis Cardinals baseball betting odds.