Mets' Alou scheduled to play rehab game today  —  Mets general manager Omar Minaya is hoping he will get a call sometime today telling him what he has waited two months to hear:  —  Moises Alou is ready to play in a baseball game.  —  Minaya said after yesterday's 5-2 Mets win over the Reds that Alou …

'Tek takes seat to lick wounds  —  Jason Varitek hopes to return to the Red Sox [team stats] lineup tonight after sitting out yesterday following an adventurous Saturday night that saw him serve as a pinata with shin pads.  —  Varitek bit his tongue after he was struck by a deflected pitch …

Bonds scratched from starting lineup  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Slumping Barry Bonds was scratched from San Francisco's starting lineup Monday night, giving him a day to rest his aching legs.  —  Bonds was originally listed in the cleanup spot and left field for the opener of the four-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Prospectus Today  —  Grab Bag  —  Working through some of the stories listed on this page, word-that-rhymes-with-slog style...  - Dodgers recall D.J. Houlton.  I note this only because Houlton is a pitcher I've liked for some time, going back to when he was taken by the Dodgers in the 2005 Rule 5 draft.

Millar doesn't want to be dealt from O's  —  BALTIMORE (AP) — Kevin Millar would rather help the Baltimore Orioles become a winner than join a club that already is one.  —  As the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline nears, it's a sure bet the Orioles will be fielding offers for Millar …

Brewers place Sheets on disabled list … MILWAUKEE // The Milwaukee Brewers placed pitcher Ben Sheets on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a sprained finger on his pitching hand.  —  The right-hander was injured Saturday during his start against Colorado.  Sheets, who turns 29 on Wednesday, said he "felt something pop, snap."

On James  —  Bill James will be inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals on Sunday, July 22, in Pasadena, California.  James, Yogi Berra, and Jim Brosnan comprise the ninth class of electees in voting conducted by the membership of the Baseball Reliquary.  All three honorees …

Not what Williams had in mind  —  BALTIMORE — Before the start of this 11-game road trip, general manager Ken Williams fired his final warning shot, promising that anything less than a ''championship-caliber'' showing would leave him with no choice but to start trading off pieces.

Comeback trail painfully slow for Nats' Johnson  —  WASHINGTON — At 2 p.m. on a rainy Wednesday, Nick Johnson cuts a lonely figure inside RFK Stadium.  It is still 5 1/2 hours before his Washington Nationals play the Chicago Cubs.  As he runs the ramps toward the upper deck he dodges carts bringing …

Elbow knocks out Betances in loss to Vermont  —  Prized righty leaves after three innings in 7-2 loss  —  STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Losing a game was bad enough.  Losing a prized prospect would be a lot worse for the Staten Island Yankees.  —  Right-hander Dellin Betances left after three innings …

Notes: Mitchell getting Sheff special  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  When former Sen. George Mitchell interviews Tigers slugger Gary Sheffield, he should take two aspirin and keep stronger medication handy.  —  Sheff is going to give Mitchell and the rest of Major League Baseball's steroids investigators a headache.

Five and Fly: Youth served  —  SAN FRANCISCO-This time, it seems for keeps.  This time, rookies James Loney and Matt Kemp are getting more than a cursory look and are viewed as more than fill-ins until a high-priced veteran gets hot or comes off the disabled list.  —  And the Los Angeles Dodgers are better for it.

President Bush Likes "Zumala" of the Tigers  —  The White House hosted the 17th annual "Tee Ball on the South Lawn" event yesterday.  The event was hosted by President George W. Bush in honor of Jackie Robinson 's 60th anniversary of breaking the color barrier.

Marlins suspend LHP Olsen 2 games  —  Associated Press, Updated 22 minutes ago  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  MIAMI (AP) - The Florida Marlins suspended left-hander Scott Olsen for two games without pay because of insubordination and conduct detrimental to the team, manager Fredi Gonzalez said Monday.

Games of the Day  —  The Blue Jays and Yankees, hanging on at the edge of the pennant race, meet today for the start of a four game series.  Each team really needs to take at least three out of four, not only to improve their standings against the other but to keep pace with the Red Sox who go into Kansas City for a three-game series.