Sources: Mariners nixed three-way Felix Hernandez trade sending Padres slugger Adrian Gonzalez to Seattle  —  Lots of stuff has been leaking out in recent days about discussions between the Mariners and Boston Red Sox about a potential Felix Hernandez trade.

Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds pitcher, has Tommy John surgery  —  CINCINNATI — Reds right-hander Edinson Volquez is expected to miss the rest of this season and the first half of next year, too, after having reconstructive elbow surgery Monday, another major setback for fading Cincinnati.

This is Shelley Duncan  —  Shelley Duncan was a kid surrounded by other kids' heroes when Tony La Russa told him to grab a bat.  —  The Oakland Athletics were playing an exhibition game against a college team at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.  Shelley's dad, Dave Duncan, was the A's pitching coach.

Waiver-wire trade bait, deadline winners and losers and more notes … Several baseball executives are calling this the “softest deadline ever” because they anticipate many more players than ever going unclaimed on waivers and thus remaining eligible to be dealt.

Houston Astros' Roy Oswalt still hurting, will miss next start  —  HOUSTON — Astros ace Roy Oswalt will skip his next scheduled start because he still felt pain in his lower back after a bullpen session Monday.  —  Forced to leave his previous outing because of an irritated disk …

Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp spark Dodgers' romp  —  Center fielder has three-run homer and two-run single.  Starter leaves after five innings because of a cramp.  —  Reporting from Atlanta — From the view behind the catcher's mask, Chad Billingsley looked like an All-Star again.

Morales homers twice as Angels sweep three-game series with Twins  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Take away Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero, and the Los Angeles Angels still have one potent offense.  —  Kendry Morales hit two three-run homers to finish with a career-high six RBIs and the Angels beat …

Nats to remain active past Deadline  —  Interim GM Rizzo: ‘We know the targets we have to fill’  —  PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH — Before the Trade Deadline passed on Friday, the Nationals were able to acquire center fielder Nyjer Morgan and left-hander Sean Burnett from the Pirates …

Tim Wakefield still hurting  —  2nd cortisone shot for pain a possibility  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio  —  BALTIMORE - Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield [stats] is considering a second cortisone shot to deal with a sciatic problem that has spread to his left calf and delayed his return to the rotation.

Waiver-wire trade bait, deadline winners and losers and more (cont.)  —  Around the majors  —  • The Phillies' deal for Lee more than anything is what killed the chances for a Halladay trade.  That was the best match for the Jays.  Once that happened, it now appears that the chances for a deal decreased dramatically.

3 UP: PELFREY, RED SOX PITCHING, WHO TO ROOT FOR  —  Yes, I am on Twitter.  —  1. My column in today's Post is about how important Mike Pelfrey is to the Mets' future.  Right now you have to imagine the Mets' rotation is not going to change all that much between now and the start of next season.

The Padres' decision to trade Peavy is an example of what's ailing baseball  —  I make July 2009 one of the worst baseball months of my lifetime - especially the end of it, when the trading deadline, the annual call for self-inflicted wounding, approached.  It was disgraceful.

Bard untouchable for Red Sox  —  Righty has allowed four hits over past 13 innings with 23 K's  —  BALTIMORE — Untouchable.  —  That word sums up Daniel Bard in a couple of different ways.  For that is essentially what the Red Sox made him when teams came calling prior to the July 31 Trade Deadline.

Angels' Kendry Morales is AL player of the week  —  The Angels' Kendry Morales was honored today as the American League player of the week.  —  Morales batted .423 in six games last week, with three home runs and 13 runs batted in.  He ranks third in the league in slugging percentage (.581) …

Hart to miss month after appendectomy  —  Outfielder leaves PETCO Park prior to Sunday's series finale  —  SAN DIEGO — Corey Hart thought he had a stomach ache from some bad seafood.  A day later, he found himself under a surgeon's knife.  —  The Brewers' starting right fielder was scheduled …