Phillies designate Taschner for assignment  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies have purchased the contract of right-hander Rodrigo Lopez from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and cleared a roster spot by designating reliever Jack Taschner for assignment.  —  Lopez, a two-time 15-game winner with Baltimore …

It's so wrong to celebrate Manny's return  —  Widespread love for Ramirez upon his being back in Dodgers' lineup a puzzling thing  —  That dreadlocked bon vivant, Manny Ramirez, will rejoin us — and the Dodgers — this weekend after eight weeks of purgatory on Planet Manny.  Whoop-de-doo.

BoSox in talks with coveted Cuban SS … The Red Sox are in serious discussions with Cuban shortstop whiz Jose Iglesias, according to a league source.  —  If finalized, the contract is expected to be for about $8 million, perhaps a little bit more than that, according to people familiar with the talks.

If Cleveland's willing to trade Martinez, Boston's a likely suitor … Indians higher-ups say they aren't likely to trade hitting star Victor Martinez.  Not only is Martinez one of the better hitters in baseball, with 14 home runs, 57 RBIs and .313 batting average, but the Indians hold …

Morosi On Yankees, Qualls, Tigers  —  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports has a few more rumors worth passing along:  — The Yankees' bullpen has been performing well, but that's not stopping the team from keeping a close eye on D'Backs closer Chad Qualls.  — If Brian Bruney doesn't start pitching …

Bases loaded walk gives Cubs win over Brewers  —  Jake Fox drew a bases-loaded walk off Mike DiFelice to force in the winning run with two outs in the 10th inning Friday, and the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1.  —  Ryan Theriot singled off second baseman Craig Counsell's glove …

Source: Padres to extend Black's contract  —  Buzz up!  —  SAN DIEGO - Rebuilding under new ownership, the San Diego Padres intend to extend manager Bud Black's contract in the coming weeks, according to a club source.  —  Black, 52, is in his third season managing the Padres …

Hudson possibly heading to Strand  —  Braves pitcher may rehab with Pelicans  —  MYRTLE BEACH — Tom Glavine is no longer with the Atlanta Braves, but he spread word throughout the Braves' clubhouse about Myrtle Beach before he left.  —  Glavine pitched in Myrtle Beach last August …

Burnett shuts down Blue Jays  —  A.J. Burnett scatters six hits over seven innings as Yankees beat Blue Jays 4-2 to win for the eighth time in nine games  — Special Report: Salt - Weather - Blogs - RSS Feeds - Globe Books - TV listings - Globe on Twitter

Rafael Palmeiro continues to deny knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs  —  Rafael Palmeiro spent some time reflecting before he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday in Lubbock, Texas, on Friday.  —  Palmeiro's legacy shifted in the summer of 2005.

Which D-Backs stay; which will go?  —  Maybe we all should have seen it coming.  The “Baby Backs” that Valley baseball fans so adored just a couple of seasons ago have reached their awkward years.  And a season that began with so much youthful promise has broken out everywhere in blemishes.

Star Cuban pitcher defects; Yankees interested? … A highly regarded Cuban pitching prospect has defected from the national team while playing in a tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands.  His next stop could be in the major leagues, possibly with the New York Yankees.

Thinking about Dusty Baker  —  Some things I was just wondering about...  Dusty Baker continuing to lead off Willy Taveras and building the lineups he does — is that the single worst thing any recent Reds manager has done to hurt the team's chances of winning?

Branyan punctuates win with long blast  —  Slugger hits restaurant in center field at Yankee Stadium  —  NEW YORK — After going nearly two games without hitting a ball between the white lines at Yankee Stadium, Mariners first baseman Russell Branyan hit one where no else has gone.