Cubs Designate Carlos Marmol; Release Ian Stewart  —  The Cubs finally pulled the plug on longtime reliever Carlos Marmol today, announcing they've designated him for assigment.  The team also announced the suspension of third baseman Ian Stewart was settled and upheld, and he was granted his unconditional release.

Why Wright Is Right Again  —  Mets third baseman David Wright enters this week's series at the Chicago White Sox enjoying his strongest offensive surge of the season.  —  After tying a franchise record with four extra-base hits Sunday, Wright raised his batting average to .309, going 24 for 54 (.444) over his past 13 games.

Repeated delays in return leave Corey Hart frustrated  —  Corey Hart says the timetable given to him  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  Corey Hart doesn't want to hear about timetables anymore.  They just don't mean anything at this point.

Halladay feeling good after long tossing  —  SAN DIEGO — Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay has been tossing a baseball about 60 feet for a few days now, and he said he's feeling good so far.  —  “Tossing,” he said Monday at Petco Park.  “That's the key word.”  —  Throwing, he said, is something entirely different.

Sources: NL West pursuing Nolasco  —  Not surprisingly, the heaviest action on Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco is coming from the hotly contested NL West.  —  Four of the five teams in the West — the Giants, Dodgers, Padres and Rockies — have expressed interest in Nolasco, according to major-league sources.

Red Sox demote struggling 3B Middlebrooks  —  The Boston Red Sox on Tuesday sent struggling Will Middlebrooks to Triple-A Pawtucket, a move that makes Jose Iglesias the team's everyday third baseman.  —  The Red Sox called up infielder Brandon Snyder in a corresponding move.

Trade deadline preview  —  An early look at potential buyers and sellers, players most likely to be traded  —  We want you to remember something important as we approach the 2013 edition of the baseball trading deadline, coming soon to a Rumor Central destination near you:  —  You never know.

Prospects Will Break Your Heart  —  The Mid-Season Top 50 Prospects  —  Before you dive into the list, a few explanations about the construction that might prove beneficial.  Prospects currently playing at the major-league level were not eligible for this list.

Reyes to return from disabled list Wednesday  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Jose Reyes is set to rejoin the Blue Jays in time for their series finale against Tampa Bay on Wednesday afternoon.  —  Toronto announced late Monday night that Reyes will be activated prior to Wednesday's game.

21 athletes pose nude in Body Issue  —  Colin Kaepernick, Matt Harvey and more will bare all on July 12  —  Force, Wall and Kaepernick are among the athletes in 2013's Body Issue.  —  IF A BREAKOUT wasn't enough to make sports fans take notice of Matt Harvey, Colin Kaepernick and Kenneth Faried …

Royals Designate Francisley Bueno For Assignment  —  The Royals have issued a press release announcing that left-hander Danny Duffy has been re-instated from the 60-day disabled list, and fellow left-hander Francisley Bueno has been designated for assignment in order to clear a space on the 40-man roster.