Marlins slugger providing consistent results at the plate after ‘slowing everything down’  —  Garrett Cooper stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning of the Miami Marlins' rout of the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday in pursuit of a double, in the pursuit of history.

Giants hold on in 9th to beat Padres 4-2  —  Will Smith had to work around a pair of two-out hits and a seven-pitch walk in the ninth inning to keep his perfect season intact with another save.  —  Make it 16 for 16 for the Giants closer, who got Manuel Margot to pop up with the bases loaded …

Detroit Tigers open to trading Nicholas Castellanos, Shane Greene, Matthew Boyd  —  The Tigers introduce Riley Greene, an outfielder from Oviedo, Fla. who was the 5th overall pick in MLB draft.  Filmed June 7, 2019 at Comerica Park.  —  CONNECT  —  Considering where the Detroit Tigers sit …

Yankees Place Kendrys Morales On Injured List  —  The Yankees announced Thursday that they've placed first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left calf.  The Yankees, who optioned lefty Stephen Tarpley to Triple-A last night …

Rays optioning Christian Arroyo to minors, making room for Joey Wendle's return  —  Wendle is likely to be available Thursday for the first time in seven weeks.  —  ST. PETERSBURG —The Rays are optioning infielder Christian Arroyo to Triple-A Durham, creating roster space …

Should Indians shop Francisco Lindor, Trevor Bauer before trade deadline?  —  Should the Cleveland Indians turn their focus to the future and consider trading several key parts of the batting order, rotation and bullpen?  —  CLEVELAND — Whether it is because of injuries to the rotation …

As Blue Jays flounder, phenom Vladimir Guerrero Jr. impresses: ‘None of this scares him’  —  BALTIMORE — Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s face still carries the wide eyes and soft features of youth.  At 20, and not yet two months into his career as a Toronto Blue Jay, he is still learning big-league pitching …

Braves back in familiar territory: first place  —  The Braves entered play Thursday with sole possession of first place in the National League East for the first time this season.  —  Philadelphia lost to Arizona 2-0 on Wednesday.  Once the Braves walked off with the victory in the 11th inning …

Cubs, Rockies get testy; 4 batters hit by pitches  —  DENVER — Despite the bumps and bruises after four players — two on each side — got hit by pitches in the Chicago Cubs' 10-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, both teams played it cool afterward.

Luis Severino's, Dellin Betances' similar injuries aren't necessarily red flags  —  The similarities are shocking.  —  Luis Severino's injuries this spring started in his right shoulder.  Now, 16 weeks later he is slowly and carefully working his way back from a strained lat.

The history of juiced balls and how today's home run binge fits in  —  We've all seen the ridiculous moon-orbiting blasts and never-ending barrage of home runs.  On Sunday, the Nationals tied a record with four consecutive home runs.  On Monday, the Diamondbacks and Phillies set a record by combining for 13 home runs.

Los Angeles Angels?  Disingenuous team name is as laughable as ever  —  The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  —  The most confusing and contradictory name in professional sports has been dead for six years now.  —  Before the 2005 season, the Anaheim Angels changed their name …

Dodgers News: Alex Verdugo ‘Fired Up’ By Altercation Between Max Muncy & Giants' Madison Bumgarner  —  Andrew Friedman Considers It ‘Possible’ Dustin May & Tony Gonsolin Receive Call-Ups To Bolster Dodgers Bullpen  —  While the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have gone …

How an uncharacteristically off day for Chavez spelled doom for Rangers, his mustache  —  Pete Fairbanks, the Texas Rangers rookie reliever, is from St. Louis and was showing his civic pride Wednesday afternoon in place where that might not have been the best idea.

Why Triple-A could be ‘zenith’ for Mets' Tim Tebow  —  Tebow Time in Syracuse has been underwhelming, casting doubt upon whether a former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback will take the final step and complete a journey to the Mets.  —  Tim Tebow entered Wednesday with a .158/.244/.222 slash line …

‘More versatility the better’: Mariners' Shed Long to try left field with no open spot at second base  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Shed Long will eventually be the Mariners' everyday second baseman.  That's why they acquired him this offseason as part of a plan to rebuild their lineup of the future.