LOS ANGELES — Greg Maddux, meet Manny Ramirez.

Stockpiling stars for an aggressive run at the playoffs, the Los Angeles Dodgers were ready to reacquire Maddux from San Diego in a trade designed to replenish their depleted rotation.

The Padres and Dodgers agreed to a deal that puts the 353-game winner in a pennant race again, according to a person familiar with the trade who spoke on condition of anonymity Monday night because no announcement had been made.

It was unclear what the last-place Padres would receive in return for the 42-year-old Maddux, who will join a Dodgers team tied with Arizona atop the NL West. The right-hander is 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA in 26 starts for San Diego this year.

Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch said Monday night that no deal had been completed.

The trade, first reported by the Los Angeles Times on its Web site, was expected to be announced today.

Kinser placed on DL

ARLINGTON, Texas — Rangers All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a sports hernia, and could be headed for season-ending surgery.

Kinsler, who was leading the majors with 165 hits and 102 runs, had an MRI on Monday that revealed the problem on the left side of his groin. He will be examined by a specialist in Dallas, probably today.

“I hope I can avoid surgery, but the way it is right now, it’s pretty bad, pretty sore, and I can’t play,” Kinsler said before Monday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers. “If it’s surgery, then I’m out eight weeks and I’m done for the season. But until the doctor tells me, I’m going to hope for the best.”

Texas called up infielder Joaquin Arias from Triple-A Oklahoma to take Kinsler’s roster spot.

Kinsler said he first felt pain in his groin after making a defensive play in the first inning of Sunday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He remained in the game until the pain intensified while running out a grounder in the seventh and was replaced at the start of the eighth inning.

Schilling likely to retire

BOSTON — Curt Schilling says he’s leaning “very heavily” toward retirement and is waiting until spring training approaches to see if he wants to try to pitch again.

The Boston Red Sox right-hander, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on June 23, said in his most recent blog entry that his shoulder “is getting better fast” and “I’ve still got a rather lengthy amount of time before I decide anything.”

Dr. Craig Morgan, who performed the surgery, estimated a few hours after it ended that Schilling could be throwing a ball in four months and throwing from a mound within seven months, by late January.

 Glavine awaits diagnosis

ATLANTA — Braves pitcher Tom Glavine is scheduled to be examined Wednesday by Dr. James Andrews in Alabama, a visit that is expected to determine whether the pitcher’s stellar career is over.

Glavine, out for the rest of the season with a torn flexor tendon, reiterated what he said after going on the disabled list last week: Andrews’ diagnosis will likely determine his fate in baseball.

If Andrews determines he needs elbow ligament replacement surgery to continue pitching, Glavine would retire. Spending nearly 12 months rehabilitating from the Tommy John procedure is all but out of the question for the 42-year-old left-hander.

If Andrews suggests he only needs surgery on the tendon, Glavine would undergo the operation almost immediately with the hope that he could pitch next year for Atlanta.

PRO FOOTBALL

Orton will be Bears QB

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Kyle Orton was selected to be the Chicago Bears starting quarterback by coach Lovie Smith, winning the competition with Rex Grossman.

Orton, the fourth-year player from Purdue, will start Thursday’s third preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers and the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

Orton and Grossman began battling for the starting spot in May minicamp and the workouts in June. Then the competition intensified in training camp.

Saints sign Schulters

METAIRIE, La. — The New Orleans Saints signed former Pro Bowl safety Lance Schulters.

The 33-year-old Schulters made New Orleans the latest stop in a career that has included stints with San Francisco, Tennessee, Atlanta and Miami. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1999 while playing for San Francisco.

Although Schulters has not been a starter during his past two seasons, coach Sean Payton said the veteran’s experience could be valuable. Payton said Schulters could play either free safety or strong safety.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Craft to start at UCLA

LOS ANGELES — Redshirt junior Kevin Craft will start at quarterback for UCLA in its season opener against No. 18 Tennessee.

“He’s earned it with his consistent play and he has the best mastery of the offense at this point,” first-year UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said after practice on Monday.

Craft was competing with redshirt freshman Chris Forcier for the job.

UCLA plays Tennessee on Sept. 1 at the Rose Bowl.

The Bruins lost Patrick Cowan, who was scheduled to be their starter, to a knee injury in spring practice that will sideline him for the season. Ben Olson moved back into the starting role, but he broke his foot at practice on Sept. 9 and is expected to miss at least eight weeks.

COLLEGE SPORTS

Massari moves on

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Mark Massari, who has worked at Oregon State since 2002, was hired Monday as director of athletics at UC Santa Barbara to succeed Gary Cunningham.

The 39-year-old Massari most recently served as the senior associate athletic director for external affairs at Oregon State, directing all revenue-generating, external marketing and communications activities.

Chancellor Henry Yang called Massari someone who “can bring us to the next new height.”

Massari said for that to happen, UCSB needs new facilities to turn what he called successful programs into outstanding ones.

“This is a special place,” Massari said. “As an athletic director, you want to be at a place where you can win and this place can win. We compete against the best schools in the country academically and win and we will athletically.

“Facilities need to be the difference maker. Kids will always look at coaches and make decisions on playing time and the feel and where they will live all the time. If youve got the facilities, then youve got a fighting chance on a national level.”

AUTO RACING

Atlanta race to be lit up

ATLANTA — NASCAR will run under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2009.

There’s more: The new night race is expected to be run on Labor Day weekend.

Atlanta Motor Speedway and NASCAR officials are planning to announce a schedule change today that will include the night race announcement, according to a racing official who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the change had not been made public.

Atlanta’s place on the racing calendar also could move. There has been speculation Atlanta Motor Speedway will be part of a three-way trade of race dates for next year’s Sprint Cup schedule that also involves the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and Talladega Superspeedway.

BASKETBALL

Iguodala has new contract

PHILADELPHIA — Andre Iguodala, who helped the Philadelphia 76ers reach the playoffs for the first time in three years, was rewarded with the official announcement of a six-year contract worth a reported $80 million.

The 24-year-old swingman could have played this season under the terms of a one-year, $3.8 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next year. When Philadelphia signed forward Elton Brand away from the Los Angeles Clippers, it became evident that keeping Iguodala was vital.

Clippers re-sign Davis

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers re-signed unrestricted free-agent center Paul Davis on Monday, giving Los Angeles three players named Davis on their 15-man roster.

He joins Baron Davis and Ricky Davis, another pair of free-agent additions.

Paul Davis averaged 2.5. points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 22 games with the Clippers before sustaining a season-ending injury to his right knee last Dec. 21.

The Clippers picked the 24-year-old former Michigan State star with the 34th overall selection in the 2006 draft, and he played a total of 53 games with them during the last two seasons. The Clippers renounced their rights to Davis on July 16, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Los Angeles has revamped its roster during the summer, adding 10 players including Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, Marcus Camby and first-round draft choice Eric Gordon.

TENNIS

Nadal ranked No. 1

NEW YORK — A day after winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, Rafael Nadal officially unseated Roger Federer to become the world’s No. 1 tennis player when the ATP rankings came out.

Federer had been atop the rankings for 235 weeks, but Nadal has won six tournaments this year and heads into next week’s U.S. Open as the favorite to win his third straight Grand Slam.