Dodgers' Andrew Friedman: ‘If we had to assign blame at this point, it should be me who is taking that’  —  The conversation could have been entirely different.  The schedule presented the Dodgers with a golden opportunity last weekend, four home games against the team with the worst record in the National League.

Braves haven't been fazed by unexpected early success  —  CHICAGO — If the Chicago Cubs are paying attention, the breakthrough season the young Atlanta Braves are enjoying must be looking very familiar.  —  The Braves made the best of a one-day pit stop in Chicago on Monday …

Padres call up Reyes, whose 14 homers lead all of baseball  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Outfielder Franmil Reyes, whose 14 home runs for Triple-A El Paso lead professional baseball, has been brought by the San Diego Padres to make his major league debut.  —  The 22-year-old was due to bat sixth …

Angels reliever Keynan Middleton has damaged UCL in right elbow  —  An MRI performed on Los Angeles Angels reliever Keynan Middleton revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the team announced Monday.  —  Middleton is seeking a second opinion, the team said.

Jason Castro Out Four To Six Weeks Following Knee Surgery  —  Twins catcher Jason Castro, already on the disabled list due to a tear in his right meniscus, will undergo surgery and miss another four to six weeks of action, manager Paul Molitor tells reporters (Twitter links via Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com).

Color war: Zobrist defies MLB again with black spikes  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Ben Zobrist was joined by Chicago Cubs teammates Kyle Schwarber and Steve Cishek in wearing black spikes on Monday despite a warning from Major League Baseball that he was in violation of the sport's uniform regulations.

Photos: Cardinals draft pick Christian Kirk … Christian Kirk, a former standout at Scottsdale Saguaro and Texas A&M who was drafted in the second round by the Cardinals, was arrested almost two months before the draft as he was leaving the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Jameson Taillon open to urinating on hand to heal cut finger  —  Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon is open to trying anything that will heal a cut on his middle finger and keep him on the mound, including urinating on it.  —  Taillon told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he's received that suggestion as a possible remedy.

Athmann's walk leads Lakeland to 9-4 win over Charlotte  —  PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — Austin Athmann drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning, leading the Lakeland Flying Tigers to a 9-4 win over the Charlotte Stone Crabs on Monday.  —  The walk by Athmann came in the midst …

Dustin Pedroia (knee) to start rehab assignment Monday  —  Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia will begin his rehab assignment Monday in Pawtucket.  He is scheduled to start at second base and bat third against Buffalo, the PawSox announced.  —  Pedroia hasn't played yet this season …

Ratliff hits walk-off single, Hickory beats Rome 2-1  —  HICKORY, N.C. (AP) — Tyler Ratliff hit a walk-off single with one out in the ninth inning, as the Hickory Crawdads beat the Rome Braves 2-1 on Monday.  —  Franklin Rollin scored the game-winning run after he entered the game as a pinch runner on third base.

Watch: Francisco Lindor Wears Wrong Helmet At Plate  —  Francisco Lindor is a jokester.  As he walked to home plate during the first inning of the Indians' matchup against Kansas City on Sunday, Lindor realized he had made one crucial mistake.  —  Facing left-hander Danny Duffy, Lindor, a switch hitter, was batting right-handed.

Aaron Nola was ‘Noles being Noles’ |  Extra Innings  —  Nick Williams hit a clutch homer, Gabe Kapler called on a new closer, and the Phillies stayed within a game of first place in the NL East on Sunday with a big win over the Mets.  They went 5-1 during the homestand behind some excellent starting pitching.

Another setback for Rays' Nathan Eovaldi  —  Rays RHP Nathan Eovaldi has has another setback in his comeback, delayed now by a right rib muscle strain.Eovaldi was set to open the season in the Rays rotation following his 2017 rehab from Tommy J

Odubel Herrera's star turn is no surprise to the Phillies official who discovered him  —  Day after day, week after week, the sun rises and sets.  And somewhere in between, Odubel Herrera reaches base.  —  It has been this way now for 41 games — four at the end of last season, 37 at the beginning of this one.

Brandon Drury reinstated from DL, assigned to Yankees' Triple-A team  —  EDITOR'S PICKS  —  The Yankees may be riding high after winning 18 of their past 21 games, but that doesn't mean the future belongs to them.  —  Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton hit his 10th home run of the season Sunday night …

Gonzalez hits walk-off homer, Lake County beats South Bend 3-2  —  EASTLAKE, Ohio (AP) — Oscar Gonzalez hit a walk-off solo homer with two outs in the seventh inning, as the Lake County Captains beat the South Bend Cubs 3-2 in the first game of a doubleheader on Monday.