David Ortiz ‘humiliated’ and ‘embarrassed’ by offseason  —  OAKLAND - Next offseason is going to be different.  David Ortiz is certain about that.  No more arbitration process.  No more one-year deal.  And possibly no more Boston Red Sox.  —  The longtime Boston favorite …

Midseason Top 50 Prospects List  —  For non-subscribers, here's the list of the Top 50 Prospects at the midseason.  Subscribers can read further analysis of these players, as well as looks at breakout prospects of the first half, prospects who have disappointed and those who are stuck on the disabled list.

Bullpen could use work, but righthanded bat would be a bigger relief for NY Mets  —  What do the Mets really want before the July 31 trading deadline?  ‘A righthanded bat,’ one prominent player said, voicing a desire felt elsewhere in the room.  'We can't hit lefties.'

Thursday's pitching preview: R.A. Dickey vs. Cole Hamels  —  R.A. Dickey (12-1, 2.15 ERA) will start for the Mets tonight.  —  Dickey is coming off another fantastic start against the Dodgers in which he allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out ten in eight innings.

Heavy workload catches up to Jonny Venters and his elbow  —  Jonny Venters' left arm may have finally succumbed to the strain of his heavy workloads, as the Braves placed the setup man on the disabled list with an elbow impingement.  —  David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution notes …

Yankees' Joba ‘feeling good’ with rehab progress  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It might not have been the smartest move, but Joba Chamberlain heaving a ball from foul territory along the third-base line deep into the left-field seats Wednesday morning after a bullpen session was a strong hint the right elbow is fine.

Dodgers put Andre Ethier on the disabled list  —  Right fielder goes on the 15-day DL because of a strained muscle in the rib cage and calls the move precautionary.  Mark Ellis is activated from the DL.  —  Andre Ethier took batting practice Wednesday and performed the other baseball-related drills …

Paul Maholm's pitching leads Cubs to 7th win in 9 games  —  ATLANTA — Manager Dale Sveum stated the obvious before Wednesday night's game at Turner Field when he said the Cubs have “underachieved” in the first half.  —  But the outlook is a little brighter as the offense continues to show a pulse.

Fans make Darvish Rangers' eighth All-Star  —  ARLINGTON — Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish is going to the All-Star Game.  —  Darvish is the American League's winner of the 2012 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Firestone (#FinalVote), having beaten out White Sox starter Jake Peavy …

Plan won't hinder Nats' playoff bid  —  WASHINGTON  —  On the Fourth of July, I'm prepared to make a patriotic proclamation.  —  The Washington Nationals will win the National League East.  —  The statement sounds bolder than it actually is.  The Nationals have the best record, lowest team ERA and largest division lead in the NL.

Ramirez, Marlins beat Brewers 7-6 in 10  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) Hanley Ramirez hit an RBI single off reliever Manny Parra in the 10th inning, and the Miami Marlins went on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 Wednesday.  —  Ramirez's big hit came after the Marlins rallied from a one-run deficit in the ninth …

Blue Jays may part ways with golden oldie Jamie Moyer as they welcome first-round pick Marcus Stroman  —  The same day the Blue Jays may have said goodbye to the oldest player in their organization, they also welcomed the newest.  —  Forty-nine-year-old Jamie Moyer pitched his second …

Justin Upton on boos: 'I don't care' … PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks' second sellout crowd of the season let Justin Upton have it.  —  The Diamondbacks' former All-Star went 0-for-5 and stranded four runners in scoring position in Arizona's 8-6 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.