Early All-Star voting doesn't favor Cubs, and that's OK with Joe Maddon  —  Cubs' Javier Baez on elbow bruise keeping him from starting Monday's game.  (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The Cubs reaped the benefits of extra rest at midseason last year …

Pirates 1, Brewers 0: Held to just two hits, Brewers shut out for 10th time this season  —  PITTSBURGH - It was another of those quiet nights for the Milwaukee Brewers' offense, which have come far too often despite the team's contending status.  —  One day after scoring nine runs in a home loss …

White Sox trail Indians 6-0 in 8th inning  —  Photos from the White Sox-Indians game at Progressive Field on Monday, June 18, 2018.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Dylan Covey's hot streak to open the month of June was a genuinely nice surprise for a White Sox team that has needed them this season.

MLB power rankings: A tie at the top as Astros complete perfect road trip  —  There is no true No. 1 atop USA TODAY Sports' power rankings this week, and that's probably appropriate.  —  It's difficult to parse greatest from great when it comes to the Houston Astros and New York Yankees …

Prospects who can deliver as soon as they get the call  —  While a lot of the focus of discussions this time of year is on which prospects contending teams should trade for which stars, quite often simply using their own top-performing prospect is a superior choice for a ballclub in win-now mode.

Oh, that good bullpen  —  The bullpen has as much to do with the Tigers' five-game winning streak as anything else.  —  Over the five-game streak, the bullpen allowed one run on 12 hits over 17 innings with one walk and 20 strikeouts.  —  In the three-game sweep, the bullpen combined …

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets … ANAHEIM, Calif. - The weekly test on A.J. Pollock's fractured thumb revealed further healing, manager Torey Lovullo said, but not enough to allow the injured Diamondbacks center fielder to begin swinging a bat.  —  As such, it continues to look …

Juan Soto's bizarre HR lifts Nationals over Yankees in suspended game  —  WASHINGTON - Juan Soto was still in the minor leagues when this game began.  —  Yet, the 19-year-old phenom's mammoth, two-run homer helped finish a 5-3 Nationals win against the Yankees on Monday …

Mets would be crazy not to listen to offers for Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard  —  DENVER — The phones are ringing in Flushing.  —  And the Mets are listening.  —  Teams are “checking in” before next month's trade deadline to gauge where the Mets are in terms of their willingness to trade away some of their pitching depth.

Nationals Acquire Kelvin Herrera  —  The Nationals have officially struck a deal to acquire reliever Kelvin Herrera from the Royals, making for a fascinating early swap.  Outfielder Blake Perkins, third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez, and righty Yohanse Morel will head to Kansas City in return.

Yankees summon Clint Frazier from Triple-A, send down Ronald Torreyes  —  WASHINGTON — Clint Frazier is on the Scranton Shuttle back to the Yankees, but not for long.  —  Frazier has been summoned from Triple-A Scranton for Monday's 1.5-game series against the Nationals.

Yankees and Mariners reportedly interested in lefthander J.A. Happ  —  WASHINGTON — In talking with some scouts recently, the second-tier starter they like best as a fit for the Yankees is J.A. Happ.  “He just knows how to pitch,” one scout put it succinctly.

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow given extension through 2023  —  HOUSTON — The Astros have extended the contract of general manager Jeff Luhnow through the 2023 season and added president of baseball operations to his title.  —  Luhnow, who was hired by the Astros on Dec. 7, 2011 …

SEE IT: Bryce Harper shaves beard just in time for Yankees game.  Let the rumors continue  —  Number one rule of being a Yankee: A clean-shaven face, of course.  —  Well, it looks like Bryce Harper is already preparing to join the Pinstripes this winter.  —  The soon-to-be free agent …