Real or Not?  Rockies games are must-see television  —  After the shenanigans from Jose Urena on Wednesday, it was a less eventful day on Thursday across the majors ...  Dr. Feelgood: Thankfully, Ronald Acuna Jr. was back in the lineup for the Braves after Urena plunked him in the elbow.

Cubs' Kris Bryant progressing toward Sept. 1 return — or earlier  —  Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant gives an update on his shoulder injury on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018.  (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Kris Bryant's deliberate rehab has progressed to the point …

GM Mike Hazen: Diamondbacks inconsistent but still in position to strike  —  SAN DIEGO - Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen did not so much dispute questions about his club's middling performance in recent weeks as he did try to reframe them.  —  “It's in front of us and I think that's the best way to talk about it,” Hazen said.

Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton nearly hits for the cycle... in one at-bat  —  Giancarlo Stanton may have been the furthest from the spot, but he knew.  The Yankees' slugger busted out of the box and sped up as he turned the corner at first in the eighth.  Meanwhile, his hard-hit ball off the wall …

Rangers' Adrian Beltre still sidelined by hamstring injury  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is still out of the lineup because of his troublesome left hamstring, but remains on the active roster.  —  Beltre said before the Rangers' game Thursday …

Forsythe gets 5 hits, Twins outslug Tigers in 15-8 win  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) All that Logan Forsythe has done since arriving in Minnesota is get hits.  —  The veteran infielder joined the Twins at the beginning of August in a trade that sent popular second baseman Brian Dozier to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mets Set Franchise Mark With 24 Runs  —  PHILADELPHIA — Jose Bautista hit a grand slam and had a career-high seven runs batted in, and the Mets set a franchise record for runs as they forced the Phillies to use two position players for the final three innings of a 24-4 victory in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday.

Lester, Happ combine to lead Cubs to 1-0 win over Pirates  —  Jon Lester pitched six innings to win for the first time in just over a month and  —  Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 on Thursday night.  —  Lester (13-5) allowed five hits, struck out eight and had no walks while improving to 3-1 against the Pirates this season.

How Billy Beane rediscovered his mad scientist genius at the Oakland A's  —  The club's sudden and unexpected upturn is a serious threat to American League powerhouses, and confirmation of one man's skills  —  Billy Beane, the executive VP of baseball operations and resident mad scientist …

Why new Phillies catcher Wilson Ramos is called ‘The Buffalo’ |  Extra Innings  —  Wilson Ramos had quite the introduction to Philly on Wednesday night, and if the new Phillies catcher keeps this up, Jim Kenney could be facing some serious opposition next fall.

Ball hits Brandon Nimmo's finger; X-rays come back negative  —  New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo left Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies after a fastball hit his bat and his left hand in the third inning.  —  X-rays on Nimmo's left index finger came back negative.

Potential September prospect call-ups you should add today  —  We're about two weeks from the end of August.  Once the calendar page turns, MLB teams have the option to expand their rosters.  Now, few teams will increase their clubhouse numbers to the maximum 40 players, and most will add only a handful of new faces to the mix.

While waiting for Michael Kopech's White Sox call-up, preview his ‘E:60’ profile  —  Photos of the White Sox pitcher and the No. 10-ranked prospect by Baseball America.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  White Sox minor-league pitching sensation Michael Kopech is set to receive ESPN2's “E:60” treatment this weekend.

Harper drives in 3, Nationals beat Cardinals 5-4  —  ST. LOUIS (AP) - Bryce Harper had three hits and drove in three runs, and a beleaguered bullpen held on as the Washington Nationals snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.