MLB »  Red Sox at Nationals, Wednesday, MASN (HD), 7:05 p.m.
Former Braves ace John Smotlz will make his first start for his new team, after an extended rehab stint. The Nats are suddenly like a homecoming opponent in football. The 210-game winner couldn’t ask for a better situation.

AAA baseball »  Nashville at Albuquerque, Sunday-Thursday
Dodgers OF Manny Ramirez will start working on getting ready for his return to the majors by playing four games with Los Angeles’ AAA team. Later, he’ll play in Class A. Ramirez will return from his 50-game substance-abuse suspension July 3.

BOLD PREDICTIONS

The Wizards will not trade the No. 5 pick.
Despite their best machinations over the last month, the Washington Wizards have been unable to convince the right team that the fifth overall pick in the weak but intriguing 2009 NBA Draft has significant enough value – along with Mike James’ or Etan Thomas’ expiring contract – to get them an additional post presence or perimeter defender in return. With that in mind, they will select one of the following three players.
A »  Jordan Hill. The 6-foot-10 Arizona power forward is unrefined but fills a need defensively and on the boards.
B »  Tyreke Evans. Standing 6-5 with a nearly seven-foot wingspan, the Memphis combo guard is a perfect defensive-minded backcourt partner for Gilbert Arenas. He’s not a great shooter, but he does anything and everything else.
C »  Stephen Curry. The 6-3 Davidson point guard’s family tree guarantees his value -he also has a sweet jumper and an off-the-chart basketball IQ.

Roger Federer will win Wimbledon … again.
The pressure is off now. Federer finally won the French Open last month for the first time in his career. Now he has tied Pete Sampras with 14 Grand Slam titles and goes for the record this week in London. Federer had won Wimbledon five times in a row, tying Bjorn Borg. That was before last summer’s classic five-set final loss to Rafael Nadal, of course. But Rafa, the tournament’s top seed entering the weekend, is still battling knee tendonitis and will be limited if he plays. Otherwise, the only other top young player to stare down Federer in the last 17 Grand Slam tournaments was Novak Djokovic in the 2008 Australian Open semifinals. But Djokovic is struggling and the pressure on Scottish-born Andy Murray – playing as a home favorite in the UK — is immense. No one else has a shot. The last Grand Slam where Federer didn’t reach at least the semifinals? Over five years ago at the 2004 French Open.

Ricky Rubio will not be drafted second
Memphis holds the second pick in the NBA Draft and for the longest time it was assumed that Rubio, the Spanish sensation, would be the choice. However, Rubio seems to have made it clear that he does not want to play for Memphis. But we think Memphis should pass on him regardless. The NBA is a big man’s league. Look at the starting point guards in the NBA finals: Rafer Alston and Derek Fisher. Do we need to repeat that? Rubio’s game offers a lot to like: he’s an excellent passer and he has four years of professional experience. He’s also only 18 years old. Hasheem Thabeet has a ways to go to become a complete player, but every team could use a good defensive big man. That’s what he’ll be. That’s what Memphis needs. Rubio would sell more tickets, but if the Grizz want to win titles, they don’t need to draft a point guard this high.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Sam Stosur
Unless you’re a devotee of doubles tennis, you did not know who Sam Stosur was before this year’s French Open, where the 25-year-old Australian advanced to the semifinals (losing to eventual champions Svetlana Kuznetsova), further than she had ever gone in a major tournament — but only in singles. She has never won a Women’s Tennis Association singles title. However, Stosur owns two major women’s doubles titles, two major mixed doubles titles and was ranked as the No. 1 doubles player in the world in early 2006. She was also sidelined for nearly a year between 2007 and 2008 with Lyme disease, finishing last year ranked No. 52 in singles. But after cracking the top 20 with her performance in Paris, Stosur is seeded No. 18 at Wimbledon, where she should be a factor in Week 1 as she tries to advance past the second round for the first time in her career.

FIVE UP & FIVE DOWN

UP

1. Greivis Vasquez »  Maryland star made right decision returning to school – for himself and the Terps.

2. L.A. Angels »  Slow start is over. Six-game winning streak this week has Angels back in AL West race.

3. Stephen Curry »  Some strong workouts have him rising up draft boards. Could he be a Wizard?

4. Troy Aikman »  NFL Hall-of-Famer graduated from UCLA last weekend – after 21 years. Finally earned his sociology degree.

5. Tommy Hanson »  Touted Braves prospect had shaky first start. But has allowed just two runs since in last 11 2/3 innings.

DOWN

1. Jose Canseco »  Suing MLB, claiming he has been “blackballed” for his own steroid use. Not a good use of his remaining funds.

2. Dante Stallworth »  Suspended indefinitely by the NFL for his guilty plea in drunk-driving fatality in Florida.

3. U.S. men’s soccer team »  We really hope that 3-0 loss to Brazil isn’t a preview of next summer’s World Cup.

4. Dontrelle Willis »  Unfortunately, Willis’ struggles with anxiety have continued. Placed on DL with disorder for second time in 2009.

5. UVa. baseball »  A tough one for the Hoos, who blew 3-1 ninth-inning lead to Arkansas and were tossed from Omaha.