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KANSAS CITY - Yankees left-hander David Wells is likely to miss only one start because of his oft-injured lower back.
Wells, 40, had an MRI exam Wednesday in New York. He is 12-3 with a 3.91 ERA this season for the AL East leaders.
Wells left his outing Monday night against Kansas City after a season-low three innings. He allowed five runs and walked two, the third time he walked more than one in 23 appearances this season.
Wells received an injection in his back last week, which allowed him to make his the start.
"The fact the doctors feel he'll only miss one turn is good news, rather than what it could have been," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
Sterling Hitchcock, the loser in relief of Wells on Monday, is scheduled to start Saturday at Baltimore.
EXPOS MOVE: Two months left in the season and owners still don't know what to do with the Expos.
At their meeting in Boston, they remained hopeful they can make progress by Labor Day.
"The longer we go, the harder it becomes," Bob DuPuy, baseball's president and chief operating officer, said after the first of two days of meetings. "But we have not given up the idea of a permanent solution for next year."
The Expos were purchased by the other 29 teams as they struggled to stay afloat in Montreal. They played 22 games in Puerto Rico this season, and San Juan has offered to host all their home games next season. A group in Monterrey, Mexico, also put in a bid to host the games.
The Expos also are being sought by groups in Northern Virginia, Portland, Ore., and Washington.
GCL TEAM SCORES 29: Ruben Amaro has spent nearly a half-century in pro baseball, yet he could hardly believe what he saw.
Now managing in the Rookie League, his visiting Phillies beat the Gulf Coast League Tigers 29-5 at Lakeland.
"It was one of those crazy days," Amaro said. "This was a game where everything was perfect for us."
Philadelphia's minor-league affiliate scored eight in the first before making an out. A six-run sixth made it 25-4.
ROSE DEBT CLEARED: Pete Rose's $151,689 federal tax debt from 1998 has been paid off, allowing the government to lift a lien on his Los Angeles condominium.
The lien on Rose's $1-million condominium was lifted July 10, but it took several weeks for the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office to report the move.
UMP FORCED OUT: Second-base umpire Chris Guccione left the Cardinals-Pirates game in the third because of dehydration.
A'S: Right-handed reliever Jim Mecir, a former Devil Ray, was activated from the 15-day disabled list and outfielder Adam Piatt was designated for assignment.
BRAVES: Left-hander Jung Bong was sent to Triple-A Richmond and struggling right-hander Roberto Hernandez, the former Rays closer, went on the 15-day disabled list to accommodate the arrival of left-hander Kent Mercker.
DODGERS: Right-hander Andy Ashby was scratched from his scheduled start against Florida when he became ill with an apparent case of the flu.
INDIANS: Centerfielder Milton Bradley missed his fifth straight game with back spasms and was sent back to Cleveland to have an MRI exam today.
PHILLIES: An MRI on the aching left hip of third baseman David Bell turned out normal. Bell is on the disabled list with a back injury.