RANGERS NOTES  —  Laird is regaining his spot  —  MINNEAPOLIS - Catcher Gerald Laird started again Wednesday, marking the second consecutive series in which he has started the majority of the games.  This after never starting two games in any three-game series before the All-Star break.

Park bled internally; prognosis good  —  Lower intestinal bleeding caused starting pitcher Chan Ho Park to lose half of his blood volume, but the Padres expect a blood transfusion and iron supplements to soon restore the anemic 33-year-old.  —  "As soon he can come off the disabled list …

Something's Rotten in Den...ver  —  Thanks to all of you who checked in with assistance on the Tejada/Tehama thing.  I've added the name of the Orioles' shortstop to my Word dictionary, which has solved the problem.  As always, writing for people smarter than yourself has its privileges.

Pelfrey looks for minor adjustment  —  MIAMI - Mike Pelfrey knew he was ticketed for the minors early in the day at the team hotel when he got wind of Royce Ring being summoned to the Mets.  Pelfrey got the news he was headed to Triple-A Norfolk from Willie Randolph when he arrived at Dolphin Stadium.

Breaking News: Reyes Signs Four-Year Deal  —  Jose Reyes has agreed to a four-year, $23.25 million contract, with a fifth-year option.

Nationals blew Soriano deal in many ways  —  Oh, I get it.  The Washington Nationals really want to keep Alfonso Soriano.  —  No wonder they decided he would change positions without discussing it with him, then tried to trade him every day for the past three months.  —  They did it because they want to keep him.

Mulder may pitch soon  —  Mulder may pitch soon  —  Barring complications from a side session set for today, lefthander Mark Mulder will begin a rehab assignment Sunday in Davenport, Iowa, for Class A Quad Cities.  —  Mulder reported no problems Wednesday after working a three-inning simulation Tuesday against several teammates.

Astros-Padres Preview  —  The Houston Astros are slowly moving into contention for a third straight NL wild card berth.  —  The Astros look to complete their first three-game sweep at San Diego in nearly 24 years when the meet the Padres on Thursday afternoon.

Daily Dish: Aug. 3  —  One of the premiere pitching matchups across the minors took place at Double-A Reading on Wednesday, as Phillies lefthander Gio Gonzalez went up against Yankees righthander Philip Hughes.  —  Gonzalez wound up on the winning side, as the Phillies downed Trenton 5-1 …

Cubs' Wood skips surgery on shoulder  —  Right-hander will come out of the bullpen after rehab  —  CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood has decided not to have surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, and also has accepted that he may have to pitch in relief rather than start when he does return.

Lies, Damned Lies  —  Is Bigger Better?  —  friendly  —  Contact  —  Which was the more important trade deadline acquisition: Carlos Lee, or Todd Walker?  —  If ESPN took a SportsNation poll on that one, the map would probably be about as monotone as the 1984 presidential election.

Death, Taxes, and Major League Waivers  —  MLB's rules are complex and convoluted, but they're not hard.  I've heard various people in front offices referred to as "rules experts" or - my favorite "waivers experts."  The rule on waivers (Rule 9) runs nine pages, a large part of which revolve around resolving the order of claims.

Mariners Notebook: Beltre savors second chance  —  After long foul, HR came on a repeat fastball  —  BALTIMORE — Adrian Beltre thought he missed his shot for a first-inning home run when he jumped on an Erik Bedard fastball and yanked it deep but foul.  —  "It was a fastball, and I was right on it," Beltre said.

Matheny done for the season with concussion  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Catcher Mike Matheny has made little progress in his recovery from a concussion and will not play again this season for San Francisco.  —  After another series of tests and appointments with specialists at the University …

Fasano & Lidle keep cool, warm up for hot forecast  —  Sal Fasano is a man with a three-part plan.  The first part is eating a good meal this morning.  The second is drinking an enormous amount of water.  The third aspect is having prepared a solution of ammonia and water so he can pour it on his head from time to time.

The LoHud Mets blog  —  August 03: Pre-Game: On tap for today  —  Went to one of those hole-in-the-wall BBQ joints today for lunch.  You just looked at the ribs and the meat fell off the bone.  And, conch chowder.  Hmmm.  Good stuff.  —  It should be good tonight.  Pedro v. Willis.