Padres appear to have edge in Wells talks  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — David Wells is still scheduled to face Toronto's Roy Halladay tonight at Fenway Park when the Red Sox begins a 10-game homestand, but barring a last-minute change of heart by general manager Theo Epstein, it's likely …

Rivera and Giambi Taking Medical Tests  —  Mariano Rivera and Jason Giambi played in yesterday's doubleheader, so their health status is not alarming to the Yankees.  But the team was concerned enough about them to schedule magnetic resonance imaging exams.

Notes: Mets Add Hernandez, Get Set for Playoffs  —  Here's the reason the Mets needed to add Anderson Hernandez, or some position player, to the roster before Sept. 1 - at least according to Mets officials.  —  Let's say the Mets wanted to call up Lastings Milledge, or any other position player …

Good news for Papi — Sources say Ortiz passes heart tests, out of hospital  —  David Ortiz' heart appears healthy and he could be on the field as early as next week, based on test results yesterday that could finally give Sox fans a reason to cheer, a source said.

Rangers owner looks ahead to winter  —  Owner not conceding AL West, but hot A's are pulling away  —  ARLINGTON - Rangers owner Tom Hicks won't concede the AL West race.  But he sure did come close Wednesday.  —  Returning to Ameriquest Field after watching his team lose two of three …

Mets' Offense Stands Out, but Defense Is Overlooked  —  For the last 11 games, the Mets have fielded every ground ball cleanly, caught every fly ball without incident and thrown every ball on target.  And yet over the same span, the most prominent story lines have centered on David Wright's slump …

Bad shoulder puts Crisp on sidelines  —  OAKLAND, Calif. - The Red Sox' unimaginable string of injuries and misfortune incurred another addition yesterday when Coco Crisp was scratched from the starting lineup just before the 7-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics with a strained left shoulder.

on the routs  —  buster olney thinks the padres are gonna get david wells for catcher george kottaras, one of their best prospects —  in fact, the best padre prospect, according to baseball prospectus: … a few weeks ago, kevin goldstein rated him the 6th-best catching prospect in the minors.

Ten Great Pickups by Omar Minaya  —  Everyone knows that the Mets are having a great year.  Much of the focus has been on the big-name players, including Carlos Beltran's MVP year, David Wright's and Jose Reyes' breakout years, Billy Wagner's closing and Carlos Delgado's batting and leadership.

Position Breakdown: Right-Handed Starters  —  With nearly one-third of all rosters consisting of right-handed pitchers, I decided to take this list up to 20.  As always, to be eligible for the rankings, one must be in the minor leagues currently, so a guy like Matt Garza is not eligible.

Marshall likely back in rotation Saturday  —  PITTSBURGH — Starter Sean Marshall is expected to make his return Saturday after rehabbing a strained oblique muscle that has had him on the disabled list since July 23.  —  How the Cubs intend to fit Wade Miller in the rotation the rest …

West Virginia Powers Year-End All-Stars  —  The South Atlantic League released its annual all-star team yesterday as voted on by the league's managers, coaches and broadcasters.  Augusta second baseman Eugenio Velez was named to the team as well as the league's MVP.

Twins lose Castillo, game to the Royals  —  Kansas City made it two victories in a row, and Minnesota's troubles were compounded when its second baseman got hurt.  —  Hitless in his past 15 at-bats, Joe Mauer is struggling through his biggest slump of the season, with his major league-leading average down to .350.

Back in the Bay  —  Ultimately, Bonds will end up back with Giants for '07  —  Barry Bonds will be back with the Giants next year, taking aim at Hank Aaron.  There isn't a done deal, an agreement or even a handshake.  It's just common sense.  —  Bonds wants to return to the Giants …

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.

Players Who May Be On The Move  —  At the risk of getting ahead of myself here as baseball enters the final month of regular-season play, I decided to take a sneak peek at the upcoming crop of free agents as well as those who will be subject to team and/or player options.