Lester tested for cancer  —  OAKLAND, Calif. - Not long after the Red Sox sent 22-year-old left-hander Jon Lester back to Boston to be evaluated by club medical officials, sources indicated that one of the club's most promising players is dealing with more than just a bad back.

Mound of troubles for Pavano  —  Carl Pavano was in New York yesterday, but he never set foot in Yankee Stadium, and never had to face his teammates.  And it may stay that way for a while.  —  Pavano yesterday was ordered back into Yankee oblivion — Tampa — after a complete medical procedure …

Cards' Bennett leaves with back sprain  —  Cleared to play, Molina takes over despite strained right elbow  —  ST. LOUIS — Bad news collided with good news for the Cardinals catchers on Wednesday night.  —  Yadier Molina was cleared to play on Wednesday afternoon after missing five games with a muscle strain in his right elbow.

Wang steps up again for Yankees, shuts down Tigers  —  CBS SportsLine.com wire reports  —  NEW YORK — Chien-Ming Wang has overtaken Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina to become the New York Yankees' ace.  —  Wang tied Toronto's Roy Halladay and Jon Garland of the Chicago White Sox …

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."

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 …

Reports: Cardinals' Mulder, Edmonds may miss rest of season  —  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 Dispatch reported Wednesday …

Fibrillation wouldn't threaten career  —  The Red Sox released few details about David Ortiz's medical condition yesterday, but cardiologists said several clues, including the decision not to rush him to a hospital in Oakland where the team is playing, indicate he probably is not suffering …

BoSox close in on Wells trade; Padres likely buyer … The Red Sox moved steadily toward the completion of a trade of veteran left-hander David Wells, identifying Triple-A catcher George Kottaras as the player they want if they complete a deal with the Padres.

Do-It-Yourself Game Post, Part Deux  —  This afternoon's ridiculous 10-9 loss to the Pirates probably has you feeling like that, doesn't it?  —  So YOU choose how you want this post to read.  —  This afternoon in Pittsburgh, took the field and against .  The final score was .

Soriano stable after line drive to head  —  SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners reliever Rafael Soriano remained in stable condition in an intensive care unit Wednesday morning after being hit in the head by a line drive Tuesday night.  —  Soriano sustained a concussion after being struck behind his right ear.

Sox tag 'em, bag 'em  —  Iguchi's homer in 8th, baserunning blunder by Devil Rays in 9th rescue restless Sox  —  The White Sox survived seven innings of restlessness and frustration Wednesday night with an inning of urgency that provided relief.  —  Tadahito Iguchi's two-out, two-run …

Liriano throws off mound, but Radke suffers setback  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano threw off a mound Wednesday for the first time since going on the disabled list Aug. 8 with a strained ligament in his pitching arm.  —  The news was not all good for Minnesota, though.

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.

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.

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.