Back problem sidelines Crede  —  White Sox third baseman Joe Crede could be sidelined until Saturday because of lower back stiffness that could necessitate the promotion of Triple-A Charlotte star Josh Fields.  —  Crede also could need off-season surgery.  —  "His is more of a chronic problem …

Padres try to sneak into hunt for Zito  —  Imagine a 2007 Padres' rotation featuring twin aces, right-hander Jake Peavy and left-hander Barry Zito.  —  The Padres can.  —  The consensus around baseball is that Zito will land with either one of the New York teams or the Dodgers as a free agent.

Rangers recall reliever who once threw chair  —  SEATTLE (AP) — The Texas Rangers on Friday recalled right-hander Frank Francisco, who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault for throwing a chair that broke the nose of an Oakland Athletics female fan two years ago.

ESPN GETS A RE-PHIL  —  STEVE INKS NEW FIVE-YEAR DEAL  —  In a move that will push Steve Phillips even more into the forefront of ESPN baseball coverage, the network has signed the former Met GM to a new five-year contract.  —  Phillips, who is in his second full year on ESPN …

It's Down To This ...  Two teams trying to pull off a miracle.  —  The Florida Marlins opened the season 11-31.  They have gone 59-38 since.  —  The Philadelphia Philles flopped miserably in mid-season.  In mid-May they were 22-16, just a game in arrears of the New York Mets.

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Young was a 'growing cancer'  —  Source: Designated hitter, who was released by Tigers on Wednesday, didn't care about team.  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Why did the Tigers really release Dmitri Young?  —  "To put it bluntly," said a source within the organization, "he was a growing cancer …

DAN LEBATARD ON JOE GIRARDI  —  With the end of the season fast approaching and the Dusty Era (hopefully) coming to a close, Cub fans far and wide have been looking toward next season.  One big question on everyone's mind is, "who will the Cubs' manager be in 2007"?

Great Leap Forward, NL  —  This is part three of a four part series in which we'll look at which players saw their stock rise and fall the most in each organization.  We continue today with the National League, and the good.  —  Arizona Diamondbacks  —  A 16th-round pick in 2004 …

Nationals' Comeback Hits Rocky Road  —  DENVER, Sept. 7 — Brian Schneider tried to play it back in his mind, and couldn't.  —  "What just happened?" he asked, a blank stare on his face in the visiting clubhouse at Coors Field, long after the Washington Nationals waited out a two-hour …

He's in for a mound of work  —  Hansen will get chances to shine  —  Reliever Craig Hansen, who began the season at Double A Portland and has been promoted to the Sox three times this summer from Triple A Pawtucket, has had a rough baptism in his first full season of pro ball.

FOREARM PROBLEM DOESN'T WORRY MO  —  Mariano Rivera will test his troubled right forearm today at Camden Yards.  To what degree is the question.  —  Following the Yankees 8-3 win over the Royals in Kansas City Wednesday night, Joe Torre said his closer would do "something meaningful, more than [play catch]."

Izzy done?  Bad hip could end his season  —  PHOENIX — Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen will not pitch in this weekend's series against Arizona, and he expects to miss at least the next week as he attempts to alleviate pain and inflammation in his left hip that is at the root of his inconsistency.

Miller set for Cubs debut on Saturday  —  Right-hander will pitch for first time since Aug. 2005  —  ATLANTA — Wade Miller will make his Cubs debut on Saturday, starting the second game of the four-game series against the Atlanta Braves.  —  Miller's last big league start was Aug. 8, 2005, when he pitched for Boston against Texas.

Etkin: Smith seeing clearly now after surgery, self examination  —  Double-A Tulsa right fielder Seth Smith went home to Brandon, Miss., during the Texas League all-star break.  And for the better part of three days, Smith pondered his disappointing first half and thought long and hard about how to improve.

Teixeira rediscovers his power after the break  —  SEATTLE — Mark Teixeira is well aware he fell short of many people's expectations, including his own, in the first half of the season.  —  The 26-year-old Rangers first baseman was coming off one of the best offensive seasons ever by a Ranger …

Angels' Big Picture Not Pretty  —  They need Oakland to lose, but they can't do anything about it until the final 10 games of the season.  —  There are so many ways to look at the Angels' predicament with their season now reduced to 22 games and their American League West deficit behind Oakland at 5 1/2 games.