Rangers Close To Garza Deal; One NL Team Still Involved  —  7:42pm: The loss of momentum between the Cubs and Rangers did in fact occur after the teams had swapped medical information on the players that were to be involved, writes Passan.  If medical concerns are to blame …

Plenty of prospects could be moved by Deadline  —  Here's a look at who contending teams could offer to swing a trade to get help now  —  As play resumes in Major League Baseball following the All-Star break, there were 16 teams at or above .500.  All of them, if not more, are at least somewhat in contention for a postseason spot.

Let's Make a Deal: Mets Trade Market Update  —  The Mets want a hitter, who is under contract through at least the next season or two; and their biggest strength - young pitching - is in high demand.  —  I had been hearing the Mets would only consider moving Bobby Parnell in a deal for an experienced …

Yankees return Jeter (quad) to disabled list  —  The New York Yankees on Friday placed captain Derek Jeter back on the disabled list due to a strained right quad.  —  Jeter will be eligible to return from his latest DL stint on July 27.  The Yankees will call up Brent Lillibridge to take his roster spot.

Brandon Phillips Is the Most Entertaining Player in Baseball  —  And he's got a nice smile, too.  —  Because someone has to be.  —  “Baseball is boring.”  —  Brandon Phillips is serious.  He professes this with a smirk, arching his eyebrows ever so slightly as he speaks, but the man means what he says.

Checkup looks good for Dodgers  —  With top players back and performing as expected, surging Dodgers look like favorites to capture the weak NL West.  —  The Dodgers look to lock up the National League West after the All-Star break in part thanks to the return of Hanley Ramirez, right …

Alex Rodriguez hits second rehab HR, this time for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre  —  MOOSIC, Pa. - It was a vintage A-Rod moment.  —  Alex Rodriguez strode to the plate in the third inning, his at-bat soundtracked by a mixture of loud applause and loud-enough derisive comments from the PNC Field crowd.

Red Sox, Pedroia Discussing Long-Term Extension  —  The Red Sox are in long-term extension talks with star second baseman Dustin Pedroia, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.  According to Passan, the prospective deal would make Pedroia — a client of ACES — the game's highest-paid second baseman …

Game 92: Mets vs. Phillies at 7:10 PM  —  The Good: The Mets open the second half of their season with seven straight home games.  They are 5-3 in their last eight games.  David Wright has 45 hits since June 12, the second-highest total in the majors.  —  The Bad: The Mets are 3-6 against the Phillies this season.

Jays open second half with three-game set against Rays  —  The Sports Network  —  (Sports Network) - The Toronto Blue Jays try to start their second half off on the right foot tonight when they begin a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre.

Red Sox Sign Contreras, Lyon To Minor League Deals  —  The Red Sox have signed right-handers Jose Contreras and Brandon Lyon to minor league deals and assigned each to Triple-A Pawtucket, the team announced (hat tip: Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald on Twitter).

Peter Bourjos suffers a setback  —  Broken bone in Bourjos' wrist hasn't fully healed, meaning the center fielder won't be back before August.  —  X-rays taken this week showed that the broken bone in Peter Bourjos' right wrist hasn't fully healed, a setback that will delay the return of the center fielder by one or two more weeks.