Yankees drop struggling Giancarlo Stanton to 4th in lineup  —  NEW YORK — In the hopes of heating up Giancarlo Stanton's cold bat in the Bronx, the New York Yankees on Thursday are moving him in the batting order.  —  The power hitter, who had spent all of this young season hitting third …

Mariners getting healthy as they face Astros  —  The Seattle Mariners are finally getting close to fielding the starting lineup they expected this season as they prepare for Thursday afternoon's series finale against the Houston Astros in Seattle.  —  Left fielder Ben Gamel …

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Francisco Giants … Each question posed to Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin presented a theory, of sorts, on why his year has begun in such spectacular fashion.  There was his slider usage, his distance removed from elbow surgery, the impact of his relatively newfound curveball.

Cardinals have hesitance using rookie Hicks for multiple innings  —  CHICAGO  • The new makeup of the Cardinals' bullpen, with its collection of closers and lack of a long reliever, means that all the fresh arms are going to have to cover innings, if needed.

Mets weighing options as they wait for lefty Jason Vargas to return  —  ATLANTA — The Mets' starting pitchers are once again competing for their jobs.  —  With lefty Jason Vargas set to return to the rotation as early as next weekend's series in San Diego, the Mets will soon decide which starter will lose his spot in the rotation.

Next Slide  —  Leonys Martin was so happy to hit his first career grand slam, he wrote a thank-you note after the game.  —  Martin smiled as he held the grand slam ball in his hands after the Detroit Tigers' 13-8 win over the Orioles on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park, before tucking it away in his locker.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Reds fired Bryan Price on Thursday after their 3-15 start, the first managerial change in the major leagues this season.  —  Price was in his fifth season leading the rebuilding team, which has relied on rookies more than any other team in the majors during his tenure.

Batting ninth - it's not always the pitcher for Gabe Kapler's Phillies  —  Jake Arrieta is considered one of the better hitting pitchers in baseball and he batted eighth 38 times in his career before joining the Phillies as a free agent this season.  But for the second time in as many National …

Poor playing conditions could follow Cubs to Denver  —  Joe Maddon on Cubs' hitters Thursday: ‘I loved our approach today.’ (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Kyle Hendricks is scheduled to pitch Friday night on seven days' rest, and he's bracing for an extension to his extended break.

Austin has hearing to appeal 5-game suspension  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin had his hearing Thursday to appeal his five-game suspension for his part in a brawl with the Boston Red Sox.  —  John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, heard the appeal.

Alex Rodriguez's cousin held captive after Lamborghini deal goes bad  —  Two men were arrested after they allegedly held a cousin of former slugger Alex Rodriguez for ransom Wednesday night, New York police confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.  —  Norberto Susini was held hostage at a New York hotel …

White Sox trade Tyler Saladino to Brewers, pick up Trayce Thompson from Athletics  —  The Dodgers' Trayce Thompson grounds out against the Cubs on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at Wrigley Field.  The White Sox acquired Thompson, who played for the Sox in 2015, from the Athletics for cash considerations Thursday.

Dodgers extend win streak to four with sweep over Padres  —  SAN DIEGO  —  When he arrived at the ballpark Wednesday afternoon, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knew who his closer was.  The unsteady April of Kenley Jansen was not enough to dislodge him from the position he earned with half a decade of excellence.

Felipe Alou's book tells more than game stories  —  Felipe Alou has plenty of captivating stories to tell from the six decades he has spent in pro baseball, including stints playing alongside Willie Mays and Hank Aaron and managing Barry Bonds, three of the top five home run hitters of all time.

Gibbons coy on Hernandez situation  —  NEW YORK — There was more fencing going on inside the visiting manager's office at Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon than you see in most pirate movies.  —  Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was fencing with the media when pressed about what he was going …