Yanks notes: Passing on Cuban star Castillo  —  Pass on Castillo  —  The Yankees have ended any pursuit of Cuban outfielder/second baseman Rusney Castillo, according to an industry source.  Castillo's power-and-speed element has him linked to interest by several other clubs …

Pirates activate Andrew McCutchen from the disabled list  —  Andrew McCutchen is off the disabled list and back in the Pirates' lineup after missing the minimum 15 days with a fractured rib.  —  McCutchen actually remained on the active roster for most of that time before the Pirates finally shut …

Chapman day to day with sore shoulder  —  ST. LOUIS — One night after his worst performance of the season, the Reds did not have the services of closer Aroldis Chapman on Monday night vs. the Cardinals because of a sore left shoulder.  —  Chapman faced four batters and walked …

Cespedes reflects on deal sending him to Red Sox  —  Slugging outfielder shares fond memories of time playing in Oakland  —  BOSTON — Yoenis Cespedes has made a fast friend in David Ortiz.  The slugging pair was cozied up to the batting cage on a recent evening at Fenway Park …

Mets make it five straight games with four or fewer hits in loss to Cubs … The way the Mets have been struggling at the plate lately, a deficit must feel as hopeless as trying to swiftly navigate New York City rush-hour traffic.  —  For the fifth straight game, they were held to four or fewer hits.

La Russa: Report on Gibson's future inaccurate  —  WASHINGTON — Tony La Russa declined to meet with reporters Tuesday, but through a spokesperson, the D-backs' chief baseball officer said a USA Today report that stated the “D-backs currently plan to bring back” manager Kirk Gibson for 2015 was inaccurate.

Sabermetrics Gets Soft  —  Last Saturday, on the first morning of the fourth annual “Sabermetrics, Scouting, and the Science of Baseball” seminar in Boston ("Saber Seminar" for short), Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow strode onto the auditorium stage at BU's School of Management.

Angels lose challenge, while Red Sox win theirs  —  Ruling on Napoli's slide stands; review overturns safe call on Pujols  —  BOSTON — Angels manager Mike Scioscia burned his challenge early in Monday's 4-2 victory, when replay officials ruled a call would stand that Red Sox …

Indians Extend Scott Atchison  —  The Indians have agreed to a one-year, $1MM extension with righty Scott Atchison, the club announced via press release.  According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (via Twitter), Atchison will earn $900K next season.  The deal includes a $1MM club option for 2016, which comes with a $100K buyout.

Jays aim to keep fleeting playoff hopes alive in Milwaukee  —  The Sports Network  —  With their postseason hopes fading, the Toronto Blue Jays pay a visit to Miller Park on Tuesday night to begin a brief two-game interleague series with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Baseball Bat With an Axe Handle Brings More Power, Fewer Injuries  —  The shape of a baseball bat hasn't changed much in the past 150 years, and the axe is many times older than that.  By combining those age-old tools, however, the makers of the Axe Bat believe they can bring something new to the Grand Old Game.