Mets recall catcher Kevin Plawecki from Triple-A Las Vegas  —  NEW YORK (AP) The New York Mets have recalled catcher Kevin Plawecki from Triple-A Las Vegas and activated left-hander Tommy Milone from the disabled list.  —  Plawecki replaces catcher Rene Rivera, who was awarded to the Chicago Cubs on a waiver claim.

Happ's bat, Quintana's arm lead Cubs over Blue Jays 4-3 (Aug 19, 2017)  —  CHICAGO (AP) Rookie Ian Happ hit his 18th home run, Jose Quintana pitched six effective innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 Saturday to keep up their success against AL opponents.

MLB umpires wear wristbands to protest ‘abusive’ treatment  —  Major League Baseball umpires are wearing white wristbands during games Saturday, protesting “abusive player behavior” after Detroit second baseman Ian Kinsler was fined but not suspended for his recent verbal tirade against ump Angel Hernandez.

Cubs Claim Rene Rivera From Mets  —  The Cubs have claimed catcher Rene Rivera off waivers from the Mets, the teams have announced.  To clear space for Rivera on their roster, the Cubs have designated righty Aaron Brooks for assignment.  —  Rivera is the latest veteran to leave the Mets this month …

Michael Conforto suddenly an experienced voice in Mets clubhouse after latest trades  —  The locker in the back left corner of the Mets' clubhouse that once belonged to Curtis Granderson had already been commandeered Saturday afternoon.  A phone and wallet rested in the main cubby.

White Sox place Reynaldo Lopez on 10-day disabled list with strained back  —  White Sox starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez on being removed from the fifth inning against the Rangers with right side soreness on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017.  (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)

Nationals ace Max Scherzer placed on DL with neck inflammation  —  Nationals ace Max Scherzer looks from the mound during a game against the Brewers on July 27, 2017, in Washington.  —  Washington Post  —  Nationals ace Max Scherzer was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday night with inflammation on the left side of his neck.

Mike Moustakas is about to break one of baseball's most meager home run records  —  In this year of the Three True Outcomes, all sorts of long-ball records have and will be broken.  Just last week, we saw Miami's Giancarlo Stanton blow past the Marlins' single-season home run record of 42, set 21 years ago by Gary Sheffield.

Cardinals call on Lucas, swap out Mayers for bullpen refresh  —  PITTSBURGH  • The plan, going into the eighth inning with an eight-run lead, was to give rookie Mike Mayers a chance to showcase his successful transition from starter to reliever.  Mayers had taken a bruising …

McFarland, Shipley candidates for Sunday  —  Manager Torey Lovullo said the Diamondbacks are waiting to get through Saturday night's game against the Twins before naming a starter for Sunday's series finale.  —  Ideally, the club would like to use reliever T.J. McFarland as the starter and go with a “bullpen day” game on Sunday.

Rays Claim Cesar Puello From Angels  —  The Rays have claimed outfielder Cesar Puello off waivers from the Angels, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports (on Twitter).  The Angels designated Puello for assignment last Saturday.  —  The Rays organization will be the fifth for the 26-year-old Puello …

Moore pitches into 8th, Giants beat Phillies 10-2  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Moore took his time walking off the mound after Giants manager Bruce Bochy came out to replace him in the eighth inning.  —  Moore wanted to enjoy the ovation from the crowd at AT&T Park, something he hadn't heard for quite some time.

Masahiro Tanaka set to come of DL, start against Tigers on Tuesday  —  BOSTON — The plan is for Masahiro Tanaka to come off the disabled list and start for the Yankees on Tuesday in Detroit.  Tanaka is currently on the 10-day DL due to inflammation in his right shoulder.

Reds showing off outfield arms  —  ATLANTA — When they were teammates at high-Class A Bakersfield, Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart saw Billy Hamilton get to just about any ball hit to him near shortstop.  The problem was the throw.  —  For Bakersfield in 2012, Hamilton had 25 errors in 77 games at shortstop.

Zack Cozart out of Reds lineup after being hit by a pitch in the shin  —  ATLANTA — Zack Cozart's left leg was wrapped as he limped around the Reds' clubhouse before Saturday's game against the Braves.  The shortstop was hit in the left shin by Braves reliever Rex Brothers in Friday's 5-3 Reds win.