Updated 1:54 p.m. with Mel Hall news: We’ve got a few short items for a mid-morning wrap-up. Let’s jump in.

Youkilis jumps out to slim All Star Game lead over Teixeira
Starting with bad news, we find out that Kevin Youkilis holds a 1,314-vote lead over Mark Teixeira for the All Star Game. While Youkilis is definitely worthy of the start — perhaps more so than Teixeira by a slim margin — the Yankee fan in me doesn’t want to see some Red Sox player starting for the AL at first base. So Yankee fans, let’s get on that. Vote here for Teixeira. Vote early. Vote often. This injustice will not stand.

Nady making rehab progress
From exhibition games to injuries, we turn our attention to the rehabbing Yankee outfielder Xavier Nady. According to NJ.com’s Colin Stephenson, Nady has ramped up his throwing program. He threw from around 100 feet prior to last night’s game and will do so again today. After this afternoon’s session, the Yankees will determine whether Nady will stick with the team or return to Tampa to finish his rehab. There is still no timetable for his return.

In a way, Nady presents an interesting case for the Yankees. The team is committed to bringing him back only when he can be a viable on-field contributor. With Hideki Matsui limited to DH duties, the team doesn’t need another no-field player impacting their roster flexibility.

The only question about Nady’s return concerns the roster move. Who goes down when Nady comes up? Most likely, Angel Berroa will be the odd man out. He has amassed a whopping five plate appearances over the team’s last 31 games and doesn’t do much in the field. He’s pure dead weight and should have been jettisoned a while ago. That leaves the Yankees a little outfield-heavy on the bench, but I’m OK with that.

Mel Hall convicted on charges of sex abuse
In March 1989, Dave Winfield went down with a back injury, and the Yankees had an outfield void to fill. They attempted to do so by acquiring an overrated Mel Hall. While the team attempted to spin the move as a positive, Hall was an underwhelming contributor who managed to stick around for four years. He hit .273/.303/.437 for the Yanks from 1989-1992 and was out of the Big Leagues and in Japan until attempting an American comeback with the Giants in 1996.

Two years ago, he was arrested on allegations of sexual abuse, and his trial took off this week when his accuser took the stand. The Associated Press has the details, and they are disturbing. If convicted, Hall could face a life in jail.

Update: It seems that Hall was found guilty as well. The jury took 90 minutes to convict him, and sentencing will continue today and tomorrow.