Yankees' Alex Rodriguez relates to Nationals' Bryce Harper on and off the field  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — It's hard to imagine what it must be like to be Bryce Harper.  —  Sports Illustrated cover boy at 16, No. 1 overall pick at 17, Rookie of the Year at 19.

Baseball by the numbers: White Sox' ‘D’ still needs improvement  —  BY JOHN GROCHOWSKI  —  For the Sun-Times  —  Entering this season, White Sox fans hoped they would see improved defense from their team.  With Dayan Viciedo (minus-17 last season in Fielding Bible runs saved as listed …

Mariners Acquire Welington Castillo From Cubs For Yoervis Medina  —  The Mariners have agreed to acquire catcher Welington Castillo from the Cubs in exchange for right-handed reliever Yoervis Medina, the clubs announced.  Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported the deal on Twitter.

Dickerson has lingering case of plantar fasciitis in his left foot  —  The Denver Post  —  Corey Dickerson #6 of the Colorado Rockies hits an RBI double to deep right field in the fourth inning during the MLB game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 12 …

Nationals recall INF Wilmer Difo, place Jayson Werth on 15-day DL  —  Facebook: Nationals  —  The Washington Nationals recalled infielder Wilmer Difo from Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday and placed outfielder Jayson Werth on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 16, with a left wrist contusion.

Rafael Furcal To Retire  —  Royals infielder Rafael Furcal has decided to retire, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports on Twitter.  The 37-year-old had been attempting a comeback bid in the Kansas City organization.  —  Furcal, who hails from the Dominican Republic, signed with the Braves as an amateur free agent in 1996.

Mets DFA Nieuwenhuis, promote Ceciliani from Triple-A  —  The Mets have designated OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis for assignment, the team announced.  —  OF Darrell Ceciliani will be promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas and join the Mets for Tuesday's game, the team said after Monday's game.

A's running out of time to recover from lackluster start  —  FOX Sports  —  Few expected Sam Fuld and the A's would have their backs against the wall so early in the season.  —  We're only in mid-May, and we've already seen the Yankees, Giants, Red Sox and White Sox recover from seemingly devastating slides.

Hyun-jin Ryu Weighing Shoulder Surgery  —  11:40am: A “shoulder cleanup” is likely, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.  —  10:58am: Dodgers lefty Hyun-jin Ryu is weighing the possibility of a surgical option to solve his shoulder problems, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports on Twitter.

Mets To Sign Cuban Catcher Lednier Ricardo  —  The Mets have agreed to terms with Cuban catcher Lednier Ricardo, ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin reports.  Financial terms, including whether the contract is a major league or minor league pact, remain unreported.

Hamels Pitches Phillies Past Rockies 4-3 for 6th Straight  —  DENVER — Cole Hamels pitched efficiently into the eighth inning and Odubel Herrera broke a tie in the sixth with a two-run double as the Philadelphia Phillies won their sixth straight game by beating the Colorado Rockies 4-3 Monday night.

Oakland Snaps 4-Game Losing Streak With 2-1 Win Over Houston  —  HOUSTON — Brett Lawrie hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth, and the Oakland bullpen combined for 4 2-3 scoreless innings as the Athletics snapped a four-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night.