Los Angeles Dodgers activate Manny Ramirez from disabled list  —  ST. LOUIS — As expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers activated left fielder Manny Ramirez from the 15-day disabled list Thursday and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup, batting fourth, for the team's second-half opener against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Braves force Phillies' hand on making a move  —  On the day major-league teams reassembled in the cities where they will resume their seasons, the Atlanta Braves made a bold statement that should resonate with the Phillies and their fans.  —  The Braves, back atop the division they owned for a decade, plan to stay there.

Cincinnati Reds' Joey Votto rips Chicago Cubs, passes on congratulations for Marlon Byrd  —  Marlon Byrd made two big plays to help the National League beat the American League for the first time in 14 years, but All-Star teammate Joey Votto wasn't about to congratulate the Cubs outfielder.

Judge in McCourts' divorce case talks of Dodgers sale  —  As Frank and Jamie McCourt both claim to be low on cash, L.A. Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon says one resolution would be to sell ‘the asset which is being fought over.’  —  Frank and Jamie McCourt take in a July 4th game at Dodger Stadium.

Hal and Steinbrenner family won't sell Yankees  —  Come closer.  I want to tell you a secret: That championship the Yankees won last year was for George Steinbrenner, but it was by Hal Steinbrenner.  —  Do you get it?  —  It means that in all significant ways when it comes to running the Yankees …

Phillies Designate Nelson Figueroa For Assignment  —  The Phillies designated reliever Nelson Figueroa for assignment, according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).  The club also activated Chad Durbin and Antonio Bastardo and subsequently optioned Bastardo to Triple A.

Were the All Stars really throwing that hard?  —  If you watched the All-Star Game on Tuesday night, you may have noticed a lot high-nineties fastballs zipping from pitcher to catcher.  At one point Fox put up a graphic listing the fastest fastballs of the night:

Theo Epstein not thinking big  —  Red Sox GM may do some tweaking  —  With two weeks until the trade deadline, general manager Theo Epstein would love to make a big splash that will have a profound effect on pushing the Red Sox [team stats] into the playoffs.  —  In reality, though, he may only be able to make subtle tweaks.

Castillo's $2.2 Million Deal Highlights Seattle's Three Top International Signings  —  The Mariners have signed three high-profile international free agents, the most prominent being Dominican outfielder Phillips Castillo, who signed for $2.2 million.  —  Seattle also signed Colombian …

Duquette thinks more to come on Clemens steroid use  —  Former Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette, appearing yesterday morning on the “Sports Buzz” with Butch Stearns on the The Pulse Network, thinks there'll be new information which will link former Red Sox ace Roger Clemens to performance-enhancing drugs.

New Florida Marlins ballpark still on budget, on time for April 2012 opening  —  MIAMI — A piece of construction debris fell from a worker's grasp somewhere near the top of the Florida Marlins' new ballpark, crashing down just a couple feet from team president David Samson.

Bob Sheppard's funeral: a majestic voice stilled  —  BALDWIN, N.Y.—Bob Sheppard considered himself a speech teacher more than a public address announcer, enlightening students about the importance of diction and elocution.  —  So imagine the pressure of speaking at his funeral.

Cardinals Give John Mozeliak a Three-Year Extension  —  The Cardinals will hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon where they will formally announce that general manager John Mozeliak will receive a three-year contract extension.  The news wasn't expected but it doesn't come as much of a surprise either.

Source: Dodgers put Sherrill on waivers  —  ST. LOUIS — Los Angeles Dodgers reliever George Sherrill, who was an All-Star closer for the Baltimore Orioles just a year ago, has been put on waivers by the club, a major league source confirmed Wednesday on the condition of anonymity.

AL West Race  —  I'm having trouble deciding if this is a two-team race or a three-team race.  The Rangers lead the Angels by 4 1/2 games and Oakland by 7 1/2 games.  The A's, however, are below .500 despite having outscored their opponents, and the Angels are above .500 despite having been outscored by their opponents.