Sosa reportedly tested positive for PEDs  —  Times article says slugger was one of 104 named on ‘03 list  —  CHICAGO — Sammy Sosa went from a skinny outfielder to a muscular home run hitter, chasing Roger Maris’ record and belting more than 600 home runs in his career.

Wang Is Decent in Outing, but Yankees Come Up Short  —  Chien-Ming Wang knew he would have two hectic days that would start in a hospital and end on the mound.  Wang became a father for the first time on Tuesday and then tried to preserve his spot in the Yankees' rotation on Wednesday.

Post Game: Orioles 6 Mets 4  —  The Mets lost to the Orioles, 6-4, tonight in Baltimore.  —  To read a full recap, and see the boxscore, go here.  —  The Least You Should Know:  — Tim Redding pitched OK, not bad, not really good, allowing four runs in 5.1 innings on seven hits, including a home run to Matt Wieters.

Strained groin forces Halladay onto DL  —  Ace feels tightness in bullpen session; Downs also out  —  PHILADELPHIA — Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay will be placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, adding another arm to the club's list of walking wounded.

Pedro says agent is negotiating with Cubs, Rays  —  SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Pedro Martinez could be back on a Major League Baseball mound soon.  —  The pitcher said on Wednesday that he has had talks with the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays and hopes to sign a contract in the near future.

Market for starting pitchers could be shockingly thin; more notes … A potentially great pitching market is threatening to become almost nonexistent.  —  Roy Halladay has been declared untouchable, Jake Peavy has a serious ankle injury that could keep him out past the July 31 trade deadline …

Bobby Abreu scratched because of a stiff neck  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Right fielder Bobby Abreu was scratched from today's game against the San Francisco Giants because of a stiff neck.  To replace Abreu, Manager Mike Scioscia moved Juan Rivera from left field to right field and inserted Robb Quinlan into the lineup in left field.

Manny Ramirez is likely to begin minor league stint next Thursday  —  The suspended outfielder, who is eligible to return July 3, would play for the Dodgers' Inland Empire club.  —  After speaking with Manny Ramirez early Wednesday, Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said it was likely …

Break it up!  It's a dog-eat-reliever world for KC's Kyle Farnsworth  —  In the past, Kansas City Royals pitcher Kyle Farnsworth  —  showed no fear of getting into fights on the baseball field.  —  These days, Farnsworth considers himself a peacemaker.  At least among his pet dogs.

Edwin Jackson: What if?  —  Right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson had a memorable debut with the Dodgers on his 20th birthday in 2003, but it's in 2009 that he has truly flowered.  Entering tonight's start against St. Louis, Jackson has a 2.24 ERA (202 ERA+), and opponents have a .593 OPS against him.

Nats deal lefty O'Connor to Padres  —  Former highly touted prospect traded for player to be named  —  NEW YORK — The Nationals traded left-hander Michael O'Connor to the Padres for a player to be named on Wednesday.  Washington made the move because it needed roster space at Triple …

Could Harper be derailed on fast track?  —  So, will we now see scores of 16-year-old kids rushing to emulate Bryce Harper, the Nevada teenager and Sports Illustrated cover boy who plans to forgo his last two years of high school to become eligible for the baseball draft next June?

Sosa a reason to re-examine PED blame game  —  Sammy Sosa was in the Dominican Republic two weeks ago when he was asked by ESPNDeportes about allegations of steroid use, and Sosa artfully answered the questions while not really answering them.  —  “I always played with love and responsibility …

Manuel, Maddon name All-Star coaches  —  Hillman, Torre among skippers selected for AL, NL staffs  —  National League All-Star manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies and American League All-Star manager Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays announced their respective coaches for the upcoming 80th All-Star Game on Wednesday.