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.

Unpredictable Dodgers Find a Steady Rookie  —  Andre Ethier is comfortable being uncomfortable, so he is comfortable playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Ethier said he stayed motivated by not letting himself feel that he was in a firm position.  So these unpredictable Dodgers are the perfect team for the rookie outfielder.

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 …

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.

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 …

A Rotation Makeover?  —  Yankees Will Face Decisions On Mussina, Wright, Lidle  —  BALTIMORE — The Yankees did not make many moves with their starting pitching this season and, to this point, have made the right choices.  —  Their one addition, Cory Lidle, has worked …

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 …

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.

Pirates Q&A with Dejan Kovacevic  —  Q: Dejan, with the Bucs now playing above-.500 baseball since the break, coupled with the September expansion of rosters, I was wondering what the Pirates consider more important the rest of the year, evaluation of players or winning games?

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 …

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LUGO IN N.Y. STATE OF MIND  —  A top second baseman could end up being the Mets' main winter offensive acquisition, and Julio Lugo, the Dodgers' future free agent, said the Mets would be attractive to him.  —  Lugo, who was traded from Tampa Bay to the Dodgers on July 31, is someone the Mets have had trade talks about in the past.

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.

Laird showing he's finally catching on  —  SEATTLE — The Rangers have had a luxury this season that few teams enjoy — two catchers they could rely on to contribute.  —  Making the situation more rare is that Rod Barajas, who has done the bulk of the catching, and Gerald Laird haven't been griping about the split duty.