Ben Zobrist, Kyle Schwarber 1-2 in Cubs lineup vs. Giants  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Ben Zobrist apparently is locked into the Chicago Cubs' leadoff spot.  —  Zobrist will bat first Tuesday night, followed by former leadoff man Kyle Schwarber when the Cubs face formidable Johnny Cueto and the San Francisco Giants at wet Wrigley Field.

Red Sox promote 1B prospect Sam Travis  —  The Boston Red Sox have promoted top prospect Sam Travis from Triple-A Pawtucket.  —  Travis, 23, is batting .286 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 33 games this season at Pawtucket and has exclusively played first base throughout his minor-league career.

Daily notes: Pitcher and hitter rankings for Wednesday  —  Chris Sale, Jacob deGrom and Jon Lester headline fantasy starting pitchers on Wednesday's slate.  Rich Hill and Luis Severino also reside in the safe zone with sparkling matchups.  —  However, as the rest of these pitcher rankings reveal, it gets dicey from there.

Nationals recall RHP Ross to make start against Mariners  —  WASHINGTON (AP) The Washington Nationals have brought up pitcher Joe Ross from the minors to start against the Seattle Mariners.  —  The Nationals made the move to have Ross start Tuesday night.  —  Ross is 1-0 with a 7.47 ERA over three previous starts for Washington.

Houston Astros win pitching duel over Detroit Tigers  —  HOUSTON — With right-hander Brad Peacock stepping in with Dallas Keuchel on the 10-day disabled list, the team hoped he could manage expecatations.  —  Peacock exceeded all expectations by delivered a stirring effort in his spot start …

Chris Carter's glove, bat help New York Yankees defeat Kansas City Royals  —  NEW YORK — From various vantage points at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees could not tell if Alcides Escobar was out or safe after first baseman Chris Carter made a nice scoop of Starlin Castro's off-balance throw in the seventh inning.

Rangers value Gallo's production over batting average  —  BOSTON  —  General manager Jon Daniels and manager Jeff Banister continued to say Tuesday that no decision has been made on what the plan is for Joey Gallo after Adrian Beltre comes off the disabled list, but they provided some insight …

Former Tigers OF Anthony Gose throws 99 mph in minor league pitching debut  —  Anthony Gose, a former major league outfielder who was converted to a pitcher earlier this year, was clocked throwing 99 mph in his minor league pitching debut Monday, according to a Detroit Tigers official.

Cincinnati Reds top Cleveland Indians, 5-1  —  CINCINNATI — Scott Schebler went hitless in 13 consecutive at-bats last week but only struck out twice.  He figured it was just a matter of time before a few of his hard-hit balls would start to find gaps.  —  On Monday night …

The Aaron Judge home run tracker  —  New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge's prolific rookie season, and the home runs that come with it, have captivated fans across the country.  Courtesy of ESPN Stats and Information research, we've captured every one of the first-year slugger's homers …

Reds' Robert Stephenson finding his comfort level in bullpen  —  Sometimes it's easier for Reds right-hander Robert Stephenson to just be told what to do and not have a chance to think.  That happened last week at Wrigley Field, when he was called to come in with the bases loaded in the sixth inning of an eventual 7-5 loss to the Cubs.

Cubs' reliever shuffle: Felix Pena to Chicago, Zac Rosscup to Iowa  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The Chicago Cubs kept their revolving door of relievers turning Tuesday, promoting Felix Pena from Triple-A Iowa and sending left-hander Zac Rosscup to Iowa.  —  Pena was optioned May 13 when the Cubs promoted infielder/outfielder Ian Happ.

Adams hits 2-run HR to power Braves past Pirates, 5-2 (May 22, 2017)  —  ATLANTA (AP) Matt Adams' first home run with the Braves came down near the right-field restaurant that had been the landing spot for a few of Freddie Freeman's long balls this season.  —  Adams was quick to say he's …

Cano comes off DL for Mariners to begin series at Nationals  —  WASHINGTON (AP) The Mariners have activated second baseman Robinson Cano from the 10-day disabled list before the opener of a three-game set against the Nationals Tuesday.  —  Cano has been sidelined since May 11 with a strained right quadriceps.

What the Eephus?  Taking another look at Zack Greinke's funky pitch  —  Zack Greinke's slider has been critical to his resurgence this season, but another tool in his arsenal caught some attention Monday night in Greinke's 12-strikeout performance for the Diamondbacks against the White Sox.

Charlie Blackmon leads Colorado Rockies past slumping Philadelphia Phillies  —  PHILADELPHIA — Most leadoff hitters are content with setting the tone for their team's offense, getting on base and letting their teammates drive them home.  —  Not so with the Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon.

MLB awards: Mike Trout, Bryce Harper leading MVP candidates  —  Mike Trout, a two-time American League MVP, is on course for an unprecedented third trophy at the age of 25.  —  The Los Angeles Angeles center fielder was the unanimous choice in USA TODAY Sports' quarterly award rankings.