Rangers look to the future with trade of Soria  —  On Wednesday night the Rangers traded closer Joakim Soria to the Detroit Tigers for two young pitching prospects, RHP Jake Thompson and RHP Corey Knebel.  Trading the closer was the right move considering where the Rangers sit in the standings.

Ortiz (back) questionable for Price rematch  —  TORONTO — Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz left in the ninth inning of Thursday's 8-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays with what he believes was a back spasm.  —  Ortiz, who said he felt the discomfort after checking his swing on a 1 …

Ex-MLB star Chuck Knoblauch accused of assaulting ex-wife in Bunker Hill  —  HOUSTON - Former Major League Baseball star Chuck Knoblauch was arrested Wednesday night and accused of assaulting his ex-wife.  —  Knoblauch, 46, is charged with assault of a family member after allegedly hitting Cheri Knoblauch inside her Bunker Hill home.

Feeling's mutual: Astros holding on to Qualls  —  OAKLAND — With a week remaining prior to the non-waiver Trade Deadline, the Astros are expected to be relatively inactive, which would be a change from the previous four years in which they made a handful of deals to ship off veterans for young players.

Mariners Acquire Kendrys Morales  —  The Mariners have acquired Kendrys Morales from the Twins in exchange for right-hander Stephen Pryor, the team announced.  —  Morales' stay with the Twins didn't prove to be a lengthy one, as his tenure in Minnesota lasted just 39 games.

Ryno mulling platoon at first with Howard, Ruf  —  PHILADELPHIA — Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is the highest-paid position player in baseball this year, but manager Ryne Sandberg on Wednesday said that Howard's salary has little impact on his lineup card.

Epstein not thrilled with Cards ‘gift’ draft pick  —  The St. Louis Cardinals were unlikely winners Wednesday when they secured a bonus draft pick in Major League Baseball's competitive balance lottery.  —  Theo Epstein, for one, couldn't deny feeling a tad bitter about the Cardinals' good fortune.

Yankees Acquire Chris Capuano From Rockies  —  The Yankees have acquired lefty Chris Capuano from the Rockies in exchange for cash considerations, the club announced via press release.  Capuano joined Colorado on a minor league deal after he was released by the Red Sox.

Tanaka feeling only marginal improvement  —  NEW YORK — Masahiro Tanaka is still reporting discomfort in his right elbow, 10 days after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection, but the Yankees are still hopeful to have the right-hander return to the big league mound this season.

Hamels, Utley Lead Phils Over Giants 2-1  —  PHILADELPHIA — Cole Hamels pitched eight strong innings and Chase Utley had a tiebreaking RBI single in the fifth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.

Athletics Designate Jim Johnson For Assignment  —  12:04pm: The A's announced that they have actually designated Johnson for assignment, not released him (though that could obviously be the ultimate outcome of the move).  Evan Scribner has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to fill his roster spot.

David Price: Staying or going?  —  Red-hot Rays will wait until next week to decide whether to deal left-hander  —  You can mark this down: The Tampa Bay Rays aren't going to trade David Price.  —  Well, not today anyway.  And not tomorrow, either.  And not this weekend.  —  Why would they?

Rizzo comes through for courageous young fan  —  CHICAGO — When Anthony Rizzo crossed home plate after hitting his 24th, and then his 25th home run, he touched his fingers to his lips and then pointed to the sky.  It was a message to a 22-year-old cancer patient whom the Cubs first baseman had met earlier in the day.