Notes: Alou, Pedro take a step back  —  NEW YORK — The Mets were relatively confident in early June that Moises Alou would be a full-time participant by early July.  That, general manager Omar Minaya said, would afford the ample time to judge his readiness for late stages of the division race …

Just like his average, Crisp movin' on up  —  CLEVELAND — Back when Coco Crisp was mired in a deep slump, he didn't mind taking breaks from the questions of the media horde.  But, he joked with a reporter, he would be more than happy to talk on the record once he was hitting well enough to be placed in the cleanup spot.

BOMBERS DEBATE PLAN FOR DEADLINE  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Yankees brass met in Tampa yesterday for 3½ hours.  Though they came away knowing what they would like to improve the club with before Tuesday's trade deadline, it doesn't mean the Yankees will make a move.

Another Pitcher Hurt, And Nats Feel the Pain  —  Pitchers aren't used to sprinting across the skin of the infield, planting their foot on a base and sucking it up for 90 more feet.  "Everybody here is an athlete," Washington Nationals Manager Manny Acta said Tuesday night.

Slumping Mariners drop nightcap  —  Seattle swept in doubleheader despite Washburn's effort  —  ARLINGTON — The Mariners have experienced enough difficult times so far this season that they say pushing the panic button anytime soon is not an option.  —  But the third losing streak …

Ripken on his way  —  O's greats, mayor, fans give send-off before induction  —  He's considered the most prepared player to wear an Orioles uniform, perhaps the most prepared athlete in the history of the game.  —  So it's fitting that days before he'll stand on a dais in Cooperstown …

Trade Winds: Teixeira out of Texas?  —  Boston appears to be the front runner to land first baseman  —  With less than a week to go until the trade deadline, it's looking more and more as though Mark Teixeira's days as a Ranger are numbered in single digits.

Colon goes on disabled list  —  Scioscia is concerned about right-hander.  Team is interested in Konerko.  —  The Angels put Bartolo Colon on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, one day after he left a game after one inning because of irritation in his pitching elbow.

Latest trade talk: Mets interested in Grudzielanek  —  Royals veteran Mark Grudzielanek is believed to be on a short list of second basemen eyed by the New York Mets as a possible replacement for injured Jose Valentin.  —  The Mets showed interest in Grudzielanek as a free agent after the 2005 season before opting to sign Valentin.

Trade deadline looming, but it's still wait-and-see  —  White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen still refers to it as a ''talk'' rather than a meeting, but there he was again Tuesday morning, huddled in his office with general manager Ken Williams, discussing the roster and what moves could be made to improve it.

Chemist Says Sheffield and Bonds Used Drugs  —  Patrick Arnold, a chemist who worked with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, said in an HBO Sports interview that Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield took performance-enhancing drugs provided to them by the laboratory.

Dunn, Dye Best of Thin Trade Class  —  What was once a flurry of big name swaps and contract dumps has become a much quieter stretch on the baseball calendar in July.  The blockbuster swaps of seasons past have been replaced with low impact deals to bolster bullpens and benches.