Cubs turn to Rusch in a pinch  —  Chicago (33-54) at Milwaukee (44-45), 1:05 p.m. CT  —  The Cubs won't have Mark Prior to close out the first half of the season.  —  Prior was a late scratch from his scheduled start on Sunday because of a strained left oblique muscle.

Take your pick: Both struggling  —  Platooning outfielders Mench, Wilkerson are in a funk at same time  —  ARLINGTON - The informal platoon that has Brad Wilkerson and Kevin Mench essentially sharing a spot in the lineup doesn't seem to be working for either one.

Test reveals Cubs' Wood has torn rotator cuff  —  MILWAUKEE — The career path of Chicago pitcher Kerry Wood is as busted up as the Cubs season this year.  —  The team revealed Saturday night that the right-hander has a partial tear in the rotator cuff of his throwing shoulder and that he will miss at least four weeks.

Wang foils Devil Rays hook, line & sinker  —  ST. PETERSBURG - So much for mixing up your pitches.  Chien-Ming Wang's sinker, compared to a bowling ball by Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon - that's a compliment, mind you - was so effective last night that it was practically the only pitch Jorge Posada called.

Schilling takes on defending champs  —  Boston (53-32) at Chicago White Sox (56-31), 2:05 p.m. ET  —  When the Red Sox were swept out of last October's Division Series by the White Sox, Curt Schilling was positively stunned in the aftermath.  Never, in his career, had he been on a postseason team …

Notes: Rotation set for second half  —  Skipper Hurdle has starters lined up after All-Star break  —  DENVER — The Rockies rotation coming out of the All-Star break is set.  —  Jeff Francis is scheduled to start the second half of the season at Cincinnati.

Izturis trade now unlikely  —  His smooth transition to third base has the Dodgers thinking twice about dealing him this season.  —  LOS ANGELES - From the moment the Dodgers signed Rafael Furcal as a free agent in December, it seemed obvious what role Cesar Izturis would fill when he returned from Tommy John surgery.

Florida Marlins: Cabrera takes his lumps, then gets the boot  —  NEW YORK — Miguel Cabrera's comments weren't directed at third-base umpire Charlie Reliford, yet they perturbed the 16-year veteran enough to eject the Marlins' All-Star.  —  It started in the ninth inning of Saturday's opener …

The Breakup  —  In this exclusive excerpt from his new book, Feeding the Monster, Seth Mnookin explores the fascinating, curious, and combative relationship between Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino and the young man he hired to build a championship team, general manager Theo Epstein.

Indians sign 16-year-old Australian  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians signed 16-year-old Jason Smit, an infielder on Australia's Junior National Team, on Sunday.  —  The team also agreed to terms with 17-year-old Chris Archer, a North Carolina right-hander drafted in the fifth round last month.

Let the debate begin  —  The MVP of the American League last season, according to the voters, was the third baseman for the Yankees.  The MVP of New York for the first half of this season - and maybe the National League by October - is the third baseman for the Mets.

Endearing & enduring: The 1969 Seattle Pilots  —  Tommy Davis laughed heartily when asked for his prime recollection of the Seattle Pilots.  —  "Bunch of mutts, man," he said.  "Bunch of mutts."  —  Then Davis, a two-time batting champion and one of the Pilots' few players with stature …