Sources: Minaya's job isn't so safe  —  WASHINGTON - Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel received votes of confidence from chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon two weeks ago, the GM said Monday night after joining the Mets in Washington to watch their 6-2 victory over the Nationals.

Under The Knife  —  Toeing the Line  —  I'll be honest—I didn't even notice that Schmidt was going to pitch last night until I was checking out the new features of MLB At Bat* and saw “Dodgers—Schmidt.”  I guess I should have been reading Dodger Thoughts more closely, but yes, Jason Schmidt is back in the rotation.

Game 93: Orioles at Yankees  —  YANKEES (55-37)  —  Pitching: RHP Sergio Mitre (4-1, 2.32 in minors).  —  ORIOLES (41-51)  —  Lineup TBA  —  Pitching: LHP Rich Hill (3-2, 6.92).  —  TIME/TV: 7:05, MY9.  —  STATE OF THE 'STRIPES: The Yankees have won four straight and 17 of 22 …

Lugo a Met?  Not Just Yet...  Several reports in recent days have indicated that shortstop Julio Lugo, whom the Red Sox designated for assignment on Friday, is expected to sign with the Mets next week.  The Sox have 10 days from last Friday to either trade or release Lugo …

Bad blood spills over in Bucs-Crew tilt  —  Benches clear after Karstens plunked by reliever Smith  —  PITTSBURGH — Brewers pitcher Chris Smith claimed it to be unintentional, but the Pirates saw his plunking of Jeff Karstens with an eighth-inning pitch in Monday's 8-5 Pirates win as anything but.

Wakefield to DL; Buchholz recalled  —  ARLINGTON, Tex. — The Red Sox have placed knuckleballer Tim Wakefield on the disabled list with a lower back strain and recalled righthander Clay Buchholz from Pawtucket.  —  Buchholz is with the club in Arlington and will start tomorrow.

Trade news: Team unlikely to move Qualls, more  —  DENVER - When Felipe Lopez was speaking with a reporter over the weekend, a teammate interjected.  —  “So Felipe, where you getting traded to?” he asked.  —  For a team well out of contention, talking trade is a popular pastime …

Tuesday Dish: Carlos Torres, Ike Davis Updates  —  Carlos Torres struck out two batters and allowed one hit in his inning of work last Wednesday in the Triple-A all-star game.  It was a fitting stage for the 26-year-old righthander, who seems to have put all the pieces together this season with Charlotte.

All-Star recap and more first-round info  —  Back from the All-Star festivities in St. Louis and I have to say, they did a great job as hosts.  It's hard not to like a town that loves baseball that much.  From our standpoint (our meaning writers/media types), having the game in a more manageable city makes life a lot easier.

Greg Maddux: You Beat Lineups, Not Hitters  —  Greg Maddux beat everything, including Father Time.  Some point to his long tenure in Major League Baseball and say that his lack of velocity helped preserve his pitching arm.  What really helped save his pitching arm was brilliance …

Phillies Have Interest In Nats' Willingham  —  With the trade deadline just ten days away, the clock is ticking for big moves to be made as the season suddenly gets very serious.  The Phillies may have found a solution to their right-handed bat issue just down I-95 in the nation's capital.