Lighter but feeling better, Fowler returns to clubhouse and is available off bench  —  CHICAGO — The norovirus that kept him away from teammates, sent him to a medical center in Washington, D.C., and led him to shed weight in a few days has cleared, allowing outfielder Dexter Fowler to return …

Three reasons why Indians fans should not lose hope after Corey Kluber injury  —  Here are three reasons why Cleveland Indians fans should not lose hope for the 2019 season despite Corey Kluber's injury.  —  CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians got a bad break, literally …

Mike Trout homers in Angels' win over Jays as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sits  —  Rookie phenom Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had the day off as Mike Trout led the Los Angeles Angels over the Toronto Blue Jays.  —  Guerrero had the first rest day of his career since being called up April 26.

Five legitimate excuses for the Tampa Bay Rays' struggling attendance  —  If you're trying to explain why the Rays fail to fill Tropicana Field, you can start with these five factors.  —  Where big dreams meet small paychecks  —  This is the one thing the lords of baseball never understood.

Cody Bellinger off to one of best starts in MLB history with Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019  —  Cody Bellinger is on pace to hit nearly 70 home runs this season.  —  But he's doing so much more than hit home runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  —  The former Chandler Hamilton High standout recently wrapped …

Kyle Hendricks to start for Cubs vs. Cardinals with wind blowing in at Wrigley Field  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The sun is out at Wrigley Field for Friday's series opener between the Cubs and Cardinals, though a cold wind is blowing in from left field, making it a pitchers' day.

Blame Dave Martinez for the Nats' struggles?  Mike Rizzo would rather you blame him.  —  The Washington Nationals have sacrificed their first lamb: the pitching coach.  Won't be enough for some, but something had to happen to indicate they understood the gravity of the situation.

Giants return to house of horrors in Cincinnati led by promising new arm  —  Tyler Beede will make his 2019 debut on Friday  —  CINCINNATI — It's hard to fathom any National League team suffering more defeats than the Giants did during the two-year stretch from 2017-2018.  —  The Cincinnati Reds managed to do it.

Berrios, Castro carry AL-leading Twins past Astros 8-2  —  MINNEAPOLIS — After a lopsided sweep of the rebuilding Baltimore Orioles to start their homestand, the Minnesota Twins faced a much better test of their strong start to the season with a four-game series against the Houston Astros.

Reds Promote Nick Senzel  —  The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of Nick Senzel, making the promotion of one of baseball's premier prospects official.  Senzel will join the active roster in place of right-hander Matthew Bowman, who has been optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

Red Sox's Pedroia goes 0-for-3 in first rehab game  —  Dustin Pedroia went 0-for-3 in his first rehab game for Double-A Portland on Thursday night.  —  The veteran Red Sox second baseman started this season on the injured list and played in just six games before leaving an April 17 game …

Dom Smith providing starter-level production from deep Mets bench  —  As Jed Lowrie begins to make his way back from the injured list, the Mets will have to send one of their many infielders back down to the minor leagues.  Fans can find solace in the fact that Dominic Smith is expected to make the cut.

Gorman's hand-me-down cleats inspire power surge by Peoria first baseman  —  WASHINGTON — Brady Whalen, a first baseman for the Cardinals' Low-A affiliate in Peoria, socked three homers in the span of three games, and when asked about the surge by the team's media relations department, Whalen pointed to his cleats.

If Jose Leclerc is worried about deserving his contract, someone else in the Rangers' clubhouse has already lived through it  —  ARLINGTON — If you want perspective in the Rangers' clubhouse, you go to the man with the shockingly blond hair.  —  If the subject is Rougned Odor and overaggressiveness …

Phillies need to take advantage of struggling Nationals |  Extra Innings  —  After going 17 straight days, April 12-28 without a day off, the Phillies were idle for the second time in four days Thursday.  Since starting 7-2, the Phillies are 10-11 in their last 21 games.  That record can be viewed in a couple of ways.

5 things to know about Rafael Furcal and Hall of Fame  —  Chipper Jones was the last Braves player to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.  —  Andruw Jones, who won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves with the Braves through 2007 and hit 428 home runs in a 17-year career, appeared in 7.3 percent …