NEWS » along with GM Dave Stewart in early October.

WASHINGTON -- Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon threw a simulated game Wednesday and is headed to Double-A Harrisburg for a rehab assignment.Pabelbon said he threw around 30 pitches before Washington hosted the New York Mets. The reliever is on the 15-day disabled list, sidelined since June 13 with a right intercostal strain.It felt strong, he said. It feels real good. It felt normal. It felt like my mechanics were there. For the most part it felt really good.Papelbon is 1-2 with a 3.28 ERA and 16 saves in 25 appearances. The next step for him involves pitching on consecutive days for Harrisburg, beginning Friday.I feel like Im ready, feel like I could go out there tomorrow and pitch. I think right now its time to be more cautious than anything, Pabelbon said. Make sure I can go back-to-back and do the things Im going to be expected to do when I get here.In other news, Nationals manager Dusty Baker confirmed the team has signed veteran starter Mat Latos to a minor league contract.The 28-year-old Latos, who pitched for Baker in Cincinnati, was designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox on June 9 with a 6-2 record and 4.62 ERA. He won each of his first four starts, allowing a combined two runs, before fading rapidly over his next seven.Latos gave up six runs over 4 1/3 innings in his last appearance for the White Sox on June 7. He is expected to join Triple-A Syracuse. Discount Air Max . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Cheap Nike Shoes From China .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. http://www.cheapairmaxstore.com/ . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Cheap Air Max For Sale . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. Cheap Nike Air Max Shoes Wholesale . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Arizona DiamondbacksOverall: 55 Title track: 52 Ownership: 94 Coaching: 118 Players: 97 Fan relations: 82 Affordability: 12 Stadium experience: 62 Bang for the buck: 2 Change from last year: -46Give the Diamondbacks credit for having the courage to roll the dice, even if it came up snake eyes. An offseason roster overhaul intended to make them front-runners in the NL West fizzled quickly, and the last-place D-backs plunged 46 points from last season, the most dramatic fall of any MLB team. In fact, their No. 55 ranking is the lowest for the D-backs since we began our standings in 2003.Whats goodThe D-backs again rank high in affordability (12th overall), and they do their best to be lighter on the wallet. The average ticket price of $18.53 is the least expensive of any of the four major sports, and the average cost of a game at Chase Field -- $30.86 -- is a full 20 bucks below MLB average. A nice touch this season was placing the names of full and half-season ticket holders on the top of the dugout. The D-backs also converted a section of the upper right-field concourse to La Terraza, where fans enjoyed a Latin scene with live music and regional food, and added a free Spanish-language magazine entitled La Cueva, which was available at the ballpark along with the free English-language publication, D-backs Insider. A nice ballpark experience and those low, low ticket prices might have made fans forget what was on the field, which explains the best MLB ranking in bang for the buck.Whats badFree-agent signee Zack Greinke underperformed after signing a $206.5 million contract, and right-hander Shelby Miller (6.15 ERA) has been a disaster sincce the D-backs acquired him from the Braves for a boatload of prospects, including 2015 No.dddddddddddd 1 overall pick Dansby Swanson. Budding star A.J. Pollock went down with a serious injury just before Opening Day, and the D-backs were nine games out of first place by Memorial Day. The result of all that disappointment in these standings? A predictable 65-point free fall in players. A 56-point drop in coaching didnt bode well for second-year skipper Chip Hale, who was fired along with GM Dave Stewart in early October. A chunk of D-backs fans, as well as the media, feel the management team of Stewart and chief baseball officer Tony La Russa, who has stepped down to take an advisory role with new GM Mike Hazen, didnt pay nearly enough attention to advanced metrics.Whats newThe D-backs have been involved in a very public spat with Maricopa County officials regarding roughly $187 million in current and future maintenance obligations through 2027 at Chase Field. In March, the club hinted at leaving downtown Phoenix for a new, state-of-the-art facility, which clearly rubbed fans the wrong way. The D-backs dropped 60 points in fan relations from last season, and the ownership rank is approaching triple digits. This has been a down year for a franchise that has traditionally done well in our standings (five top-10 finishes), but major front-office changes are under way. While theyre at it, they can dump their new alternate gray road uniforms. Rob Lowe tweeted that the new digs made them look like futuristic maintenance men working on a trash truck in space.Next: Los Angeles Angels?| Full rankings ' ' '