SOURCE: LUGO DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT  —  According to a source familiar with the situation, the Red Sox have designated Julio Lugo for assignment.  The Red Sox will have 10 days to assign Lugo's contract to another major or minor league club, whether it be via trade or through waivers.

Dodgers enter race for Halladay; Jays freezing out Yankees, Red Sox … While the Phillies remain almost everyone's favorite to land superstar pitcher Roy Halladay, and the best-in-baseball Dodgers are now believed to be showing interest, two big-market contenders for the summer's big pitching prize …

Pirates offer extensions to Wilson, Sanchez  —  Best-friend infielders ‘excited’ after team approaches them jointly  —  The Pirates have approached shortstop Jack Wilson and second baseman Freddy Sanchez about multiyear contract extensions, putting on hold, for now, the possibility that either …

MLB nixes Yanks' signing after ID fraud … A top New York Yankees prospect is not who he claims to be, sources tell SI.com.  Two weeks ago, the Yankees signed a shortstop purporting to be 16-year-old Damian Arredondo from the Dominican Republic to an $850,000 bonus.

Banner Day, 2009  —  The Mets' last Banner Day was staged years ago but it was revived by The New York Times over the past week and produced some pretty clever results.  —  Close to 100 people used words and images to comment on the 2009 season, which, for the Mets, has been a succession of minor calamities.

Rockies sign Herges to minor league deal  —  DENVER — The Rockies are going back to their past for potential help in the future.  They signed reliever Matt Herges to a minor-league deal, agent Danny Horwits told the The Denver Post tonight.  —  The 39-year-old will report to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy has protective boot removed from ankle  —  SAN DIEGO — San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Jake Peavy had his right ankle removed from a protective boot Thursday and will begin a rehabilitation program.  —  Peavy  —  Peavy, who has been on the 15 …

Arms race for elite pitching trio  —  Projecting the three top pitching prospects in the world — who will be the best?  —  STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME Become an Insider Today  —  Scouts Inc.  —  The defection of Cuban lefthander Aroldis Chapman has returned his name to the spotlight …

Dickerson battling back spasms  —  Cincinnati (42-46) vs. Milwaukee (46-43), 7:10 p.m. ET  —  CINCINNATI — Reds manager Dusty Baker had expected outfielder Chris Dickerson to be past his back spasms and ready to play to the point that he had him in Thursday's starting lineup leading off and playing right field.

Astros ruin Manny Ramirez's homecoming  —  Five pitchers combine for a shutout.  Randy Wolf's good outing is wasted.  —  The fans at Dodger Stadium rose and roared as the left fielder stepped into the batter's box.  —  The left fielder was Juan Pierre.  —  That Manny Ramirez didn't receive …

Baseball Veers Into Left Field  —  Voluminous Data Yield Some Arcane Research; ‘Pee Wee’ and Life Expectancy  —  When baseball dubbed shortstop Harold Reese “Pee Wee” and first basemen Fred Merkle “Bonehead,” they probably weren't trying to lengthen the players' lives.

Braves aren't shopping Escobar  —  Yunel Escobar returned to the Braves lineup on Thursday night and as long as he remains healthy, it appears he'll stay there throughout the remainder of the season and likely beyond.  —  While Escobar doesn't necessarily into the same untouchable category inhabited …