Gagne supplants Kent on disabled list  —  Closer's return date uncertain; second baseman hits lineup  —  SAN DIEGO — Eric Gagne replaced Jeff Kent on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday.  —  Kent recovered in 15 days from a bruised hand and was back in the lineup on Tuesday night …

Enough is enough  —  D'backs designate struggling Ortiz for assignment  —  PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks decided Tuesday they would rather eat the remaining $22 million of Russ Ortiz' contract than keep him on their roster.  —  The club designated the struggling right-hander for assignment …

Judge issues warrant for Tigers' Young  —  Judge issues warrant for Tigers' Young  —  BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (AP) — An arrest warrant for Dmitri Young was issued Tuesday after the Detroit Tigers designated hitter failed to appear for a pretrial hearing on a domestic violence charge.

Mailbag: Mets achieving greatness?  —  Beat writer Marty Noble answers Mets fans' questions  —  I heard you interviewed on the radio two weeks ago and you didn't seem convinced the Mets were a great team.  Now that they have put together a 6-1 road trip against the best teams in the National League West, have you changed your tune?

For Nats, Long Shots Hitting Spots  —  Pictures of Mike O'Connor and Shawn Hill should be posted on the walls of every minor league clubhouse.  They symbolize hope.  If they can make it to the Nats' rotation, emerging as saviors of a decimated staff, then who is beyond career redemption?

Notes: Lee likely an All-Star  —  Outfielder looking for second straight All-Star appearance  —  CINCINNATI — Brewers left fielder Carlos Lee is currently 10th amongst outfielders in All-Star voting with 401,503 votes, according to the National League voting totals that were released on Monday by Major League Baseball.

Notes: Struggling staff's solution unclear  —  Saito assumes closer role; Minors could hold rotation's help  —  SAN DIEGO — General manager Ned Colletti said on Tuesday that he did not expect to immediately address the bullpen or starting rotation with a trade.

Dodgers-Padres Preview  —  Aaron Sele looks to continue his impressive pitching and lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to consecutive wins for the first time this month Tuesday when he takes the mound in the opener of a three-game series with the San Diego Padres .

These Sox a nicer brand — Less to fret about than '05 version  —  With the Red Sox, there's always a reason to cheer or a reason to worry.  And doing both at the same time is expected.  —  The 2006 Sox have offered their followers plenty of reasons to develop personality disorders …

Fantasy Focus  —  One Weaver Too Many, and Scoresheet Mayhem  —  Jered Weaver might get demoted following Tuesday night's start against the Royals, despite his superb outings for the Angels so far, and that after dominating at Triple-A Salt Lake.  However, Bartolo Colon is due back from the DL …

Mid-Season Blockbusters: June (Part One: 1919-1946)  —  We've reviewed the blockbusters that have taken place in the month of April, as well as those of May.  This month we'll look at the biggest trades consummated in June.  As we'll see, it's been a very busy month at the mid-season trade market, for decades the busiest.

Leyland can relate to Roethlisberger  —  As a teenager, Tigers manager was passenger on motorcycle that got hit broadside by a car.  —  DETROIT — Pittsburgh being his home — and the area where he'll continue to live in the offseason — Tigers manager Jim Leyland is a Steelers fan.

Tigers against teams above .500  —  Of course, the Tigers aren't alone in beating up on the bad teams.  That's mainly how flags are won since, by definition, it's awfully hard to beat up on the good teams.  But the Tigers are just more egregious about it this year than other teams.

Cubs aren't for sale, Banks told  —  Ernie Banks, with his first public comments Monday, clarified his role in initiating talks to broker a purchase of the Cubs.  —  "Certain people seek me out," the Hall of Fame Cubs legend said from his home in Marina Del Rey, Calif.