Padilla sent packing

The Texas Rangers finally have grown tired of Vicente Padilla.

The 31-year-old former Phillies righthander was placed yesterday on outright waivers, sources told the Dallas Morning News. It is unlikely he will be claimed by tomorrow's 1 p.m. deadline because any team doing so would assume his remaining salary of about $8 million.

Making his first start since coming off the disabled list with a right shoulder strain, Padilla allowed seven runs in 32/3 innings Tuesday night in a 12-3 loss to the New York Yankees. He twice hit Mark Teixeira with pitches, and Teixeira said afterward, "Not the right way to play the game. . . . Unfortunately, that guy has been doing it his whole career."

The Rangers could have grown tired of his moodiness, his inconsistency, his multiple trips to the disabled list, or all of the above. But they'd also like to clear some salary space to make a move by the trade deadline.

It is unlikely the Rangers will try to send Padilla to triple A if no team claims him because he has the right to refuse such an assignment.

The Yankees have moved Chien-Ming Wang back into their rotation and will start him today in the series finale against the Rangers while pushing back CC Sabathia's next start by one day.

"I don't know how much better you can throw than the last five innings he's thrown," manager Joe Girardi said on the New York Daily News' baseball blog.

Girardi said Wang was scheduled to throw between 75 and 80 pitches. Wang, who had been on the disabled list, will take the spot occupied by Phil Hughes, who will pitch out of the bullpen rather than return to triple A.

So how would you like to have Toronto ace Roy Halladay in your rotation?

Pitching Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels, Halladay won his ninth game - most in the majors - while striking out a career-high 14 and throwing 133 pitches, tops in either league in 2009. In posting his second complete game of the year, he has gone at least seven innings in all 12 of his starts.

Angels outfielder Torii Hunter called Halladay "the best there is in the game right now."

Ichiro Suzuki set a Seattle franchise record Tuesday night by hitting in his 26th consecutive game. He is batting .400 during the streak, which is his seventh of at least 20 games since he joined the Mariners in 2001. . . . Cleveland Indians infielder Asdrubal Cabrera has been placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained left shoulder suffered in a collision while sliding into second base. Outfielder Josh Barfield was recalled from triple-A Columbus to take Cabrera's place on the roster.