Mets part ways with Franco  —  The Mets are expected to remove Julio Franco from their roster today to make room for Lastings Milledge, Newsday has learned.  An announcement will be made before today's game.  —  It's not clear whether Franco, who turns 48 next month, will retire …

HItters in Charge  —  There's lots of scoring to start the second half of the season so far.  Jeter and Rodriguez just went back-to-back to start the fourth inning, putting the Yankees up 3-1 on the Devil Rays.  —  The Red Sox just took a 5-1 lead on Roy Halladay in the second inning.

Mets designate Franco for assignment  —  Says he will seek new chance in striving to play at 50  —  NEW YORK — For weeks, Julio Franco had spoken privately of the need to find work elsewhere and the need to get enough at-bats to allow him to continue his career and reach his objective of playing at age 50.

Club's course of action generates plenty of interest  —  A number of the top team officials in the major leagues convening for the All-Star festivities in San Francisco privately wondered whether the Astros would make any changes at the All-Star break or heading into the July 31 trading deadline.

A-Rod: He and Yankees will talk at end of season  —  After the New York Yankees on Wednesday indicated they would break from tradition and negotiate during the season with Alex Rodriguez on a contract extension, the slugger swiftly reiterated that he isn't interested in talking contract until after the season.

Reds' possible game plan: Let's make a deal  —  While the team may be looking to dump salaries, GM Krivsky says there's a 'lot of misinformation' out there.  —  CINCINNATI — As one member of the Cincinnati Reds traveling party likes to say every night after a defeat, "Tomorrow is the first game of the rest of the season."

Henderson joins Mets coaching staff  —  Exact role, including work with hitters, still to be revealed  —  NEW YORK — The impatience — and relative lack of productivity — of Mets hitters seemingly led to impatience with hitting coach Rick Down.  New York has dismissed Down and added Rickey Henderson …

Harden heads back to disabled list  —  Right-hander's shoulder problems continue after one start  —  OAKLAND — The A's opened the second half of the season by making an all-too-familiar roster move, placing righty Rich Harden on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 8, with a strained right shoulder on Thursday morning.

Tejada on the mend … The latest examination of shortstop Miguel Tejada's fractured left wrist brought encouraging news to the Orioles, who are hopeful he can begin baseball-related activities within the next few days.  —  "They told me I'm fine," said Tejada, who was examined yesterday in Baltimore.

Schrodinger`s Bat: Dropping One Down by Dan Fox  —  Dropping One Down … Willy Taveras, commenting on his bunt single against the Yankees' Roger Clemens on June 20th.  —  There are times when the fan in you simply has to marvel at what you see on the field.

Pirates are 40-48 at the break _ and happy about it  —  PITTSBURGH —The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the few teams in the majors that could be excited about a 40-48 record at the All-Star break.  —  The Pirates are on pace for a 15th consecutive losing season, one short of the major league record …

Boy Blunder  —  Is baseball's youngest general manager man enough to rebuild the Rangers?  —  The Texas Rangers stink and, fittingly, general manager Jon Daniels feels like raw fish.  —  "I put our name on the list," Daniels says as I arrive for lunch at Las Colinas' Blue Fish restaurant.

Did Buehrle get overpaid?  —  Usually, it's pretty easy to tell a good signing from a bad one.  Now sure, there will be some disagreement—after all, for a deal to get done, some general manager, who, no matter what criticisms we level against him, does know quite a bit about baseball …