Drug testing agreed on; teams ready for strike

NEW YORK -- Baseball players said the union agreed to a drug-testing deal Tuesday, while commissioner Bud Selig planned to join the talks and teams began pushing back flights to prepare for a strike.

The sides met three times Tuesday, holding two-on-two discussions instead of trading formal proposals among the full negotiating committees.

"The drug testing is a done deal," Los Angeles Dodgers player representative Paul Lo Duca said. "We agreed on that, and that's great. They're getting closer and closer."

Rob Manfred, management's top labor lawyer, wouldn't say if owners agreed to the testing plan.

"We made progress on the drug issue," he said. "Right now, I'm not confirming or denying any agreements, proposals or potential agreements."

While there were upbeat assessments two days before the scheduled walkout, some teams made strike preparations.

The Chicago White Sox called off their Thursday charter to Detroit and said they would travel Friday only if there isn't a walkout. Boston rescheduled its charter to Cleveland for Friday, too, but St. Louis will travel Thursday for the following day's game at the Chicago Cubs, which would be the first game affected by a strike.

Selig didn't know when the last moment would be for a settlement that would enable the schedule to remain intact.