Notes: Wood feeling some soreness  —  Right-hander skips work on Sunday; may throw Monday  —  CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood has some soreness in his right shoulder and will not start on Tuesday if he does not pass his next side session.  —  Wood did not throw on Sunday, which would've been a normal side session.

Wells declares himself ready to return  —  Veteran left-hander pleased with five-inning rehab start  —  MOOSIC, Pa. — One day removed from his 43rd birthday, and five weeks after his last pitch in anger, Boston Red Sox left-hander David Wells pronounced himself fit and ready to return …

Gonzalez retires after 13 seasons  —  Phils' veteran infielder hadn't acclimated to backup role  —  PHILADELPHIA — Alex Gonzalez grounded to third in the eighth inning of Saturday's 8-4 loss to Boston.  —  The next morning, the Phillies infielder grounded his career, retiring after 1,396 games and 13 seasons.

Notes: Lawton sent packing  —  Veteran designated for assignment; Morse called up  —  SEATTLE — With playing time becoming increasingly infrequent for Matt Lawton, the Seattle Mariners decided to sever ties with the veteran outfielder by designating him for assignment before Saturday's game against San Diego.

With the Mets in Command, Wagner Loses His Control  —  The Mets signed Billy Wagner so they could kick back and relax on just this kind of afternoon, savoring a lead instead of sweating it.  —  In the days of Braden Looper, Armando Benitez and John Franco, the Mets might have wondered …

Mets bring Soler to The Show  —  Right-hander has dominated Florida State, Eastern Leagues  —  After reaching out to Triple-A Norfolk in recent weeks for a pair of veteran pitchers, the New York Mets have turned to Double-A Binghamton and one of their top prospects.

Royals' skid reaches nine games  —  Elarton remains winless with loss to Cardinals  —  KANSAS CITY — It was sweep and sour for the Royals.  Very sour, in fact.  —  "We're pretty much bad in every facet of the game," pitcher Scott Elarton said, warming to the topic.  "It doesn't look like anybody in here cares.

Twins, Gophers score stadium victories  —  By a narrow 34 to 32 vote, the Senate put the final touches on a new $522 million downtown stadium for the Twins, ending an extraordinary run of legislative success.  —  The Minnesota Twins had to wait until nearly sunrise Sunday, but it in the end it was worth it.

Notes: McCann remains optimistic  —  Catcher says left ankle is beginning to feeling better  —  PHOENIX — Much of the optimism Brian McCann possessed when he left Chase Field on Saturday night had diminished by the time he returned on Sunday morning.  —  But after the Braves closed …

Ortiz Will Take Offense  —  Designated Hitters Often Are Maligned, but the Red Sox Slugger Has Proven His Worth  —  Very few of today's baseball players can be said to be the greatest ever at their positions.  —  If Roger Clemens decides to pitch again this year — and one guesses …

Kinsler showing signs of progress  —  HOUSTON - Ian Kinsler continues to make progress in his medical rehabilitation and could rejoin the Rangers as early as Monday.  —  Kinsler has been at Triple A Oklahoma and had a breakout game Friday night, going 3-for-4 with a home run against Salt Lake.

Notes: Matthews feeling strong  —  Outfielder off to solid start despite missing Spring Training  —  HOUSTON — White Sox first baseman Dick Allen missed all of Spring Training in 1972 because of a contract dispute.  He didn't bother signing anything until right before Opening Day.

Rare Bird Sighting: Ozzie Smith  —  In the 10 years since his retirement, Ozzie Smith has been only a distant Cardinal, and says he'll remain that way until team management changes.  —  Ozzie Smith stood before about 100 youngsters recently at the St. Louis Public Library and …