Ortiz to remain hospitalized until Thursday  —  OAKLAND, Calif. - Red Sox slugger David Ortiz will remain at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston until Thursday as a precaution and for further tests on his heart.  —  Manager Terry Francona had yet to speak to Ortiz on Wednesday morning …

Mulder, Edmonds out for season?  —  Report: Cardinals could be without two key players  —  ST. LOUIS (Ticker) — The St. Louis Cardinals reportedly could be without lefthander Mark Mulder and center fielder Jim Edmonds for the rest of the season.  —  The web site of the St. Louis Post …

Padres discussing trade for Sox's Wells  —  Move for veteran lefty would come before Friday's deadline  —  PHOENIX — The Padres have had talks with the Red Sox about the possibility of bringing left-hander David Wells back to San Diego for the remainder of the season before playoff rosters …

Liner hits Mariners' Soriano in the head  —  Reliever stays conscious; M's hold on for sixth win in row  —  There was no joy in victory, no agony in defeat.  —  There were just athletes concerned for one of their own.  —  Mariners reliever Rafael Soriano had to be wheeled off …

Atlas Slugged … There have been several indications that this just isn't Alex Rodriguez's year.  One came on June 30, the day after he hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 12th inning to beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 and awoke to headlines that read "Okay, but Do It Again."

Oswalt, Astros agree to 5-year, $73 million extension  —  HOUSTON — Roy Oswalt got a $73 million birthday present from the Houston Astros.  —  The two-time 20-game winner agreed to a five-year, $73 million contract extension on his 29th birthday Tuesday, the biggest multiyear deal ever given to an Astros pitcher.

Beltran keeps Mets rolling over Rockies  —  MVP candidate sets career high in homers, RBIs in opening win  —  DENVER — When Carlos Beltran looked ahead to this season — and thought about putting a disappointing 2005 behind him — he knew that he wanted to hit .300, because "you always want to hit .300," he said.

Mets talking to Rockies about Ardoin  —  The Mets, seeking to upgrade their backup catcher and add infield depth, are talking to the Rockies about acquiring catcher Danny Ardoin and infielder Luis Gonzalez for a minor-league pitcher, FOXSports.com has learned.  —  Ardoin, 32, was designated for assignment by the Rockies last Friday.

Dr. Strangeglove: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Jose Reyes  —  I consider myself to sit on the fence of baseball and lean to the left.  I am a sabermetrician.  I look to reason, statistics, economics, and science to determine the best ballplayers at the best prices.

Reds ink Johnson to Minor League deal  —  Veteran right-hander pitched for Indians, Red Sox this year  —  LOS ANGELES — Doing what they can to bolster their playoff chances, the Reds made another addition to the pitching staff Wednesday when Jason Johnson was signed to a Minor League contract.

Schilling reaches 3,000 career strikeouts  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — With a handful of ailing teammates back home in Boston and one in the hospital, Curt Schilling had a tough time celebrating his latest pitching feat.  —  The Boston ace became the 14th pitcher in major-league history …

Mulder considering season-ending surgery  —  Cardinals left-hander Mark Mulder is considering undergoing season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder, FOXSports.com has learned.  —  Mulder, 29, is expected to seek a second opinion before making his final decision.

A Scab By Any Other Name  —  The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is often called — whether as praise or as caution — the most powerful trade union on earth.  There's no question about the powerful part: the MLBPA has, in less than four decades, taken baseball players …

Old unreliables  —  In a lot of ways, the Giants have absolutely no business being mentioned in the same sentence as the word postseason.  This is not a particularly good team.  In fact, this is an old not particularly good team, prone to slumps, bone-headed plays and, in general, extended bouts of bad baseball.

Mets acquire catcher Mike Nickeas from Texas  —  The New York Mets today acquired minor league catcher Mike Nickeas from the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder Victor Diaz.  Nickeas will report to St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League while Diaz will be assigned to Oklahoma (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League.