Yankees' Pena on DL after appendectomy  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yankees reserve infielder Ramiro Pena underwent an emergency appendectomy surgery this morning at a Tampa hospital.  —  It was the second appendectomy in two weeks for a Yankees player.  Joba Chamberlain …

Cabrera, Huff Lift Indians Over Twins 5-2  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — David Huff pitched seven scoreless innings and Asdrubal Cabrera hit a three-run homer to lift the Cleveland Indians to a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Monday.

Source: Carlos Beltran salary covered  —  NEW YORK — There are no shortage of suitors for Carlos Beltran as the trade deadline approaches.  And the New York Mets are demanding top-notch young talent in return for the outfielder because they are willing to cover his remaining salary, according to a major league source.

Freeman drives in three to back Lowe as Braves top Rockies  —  DENVER — Freddie Freeman homered and drove in three runs and right-hander Derek Lowe handcuffed the Colorado Rockies over 6 1-3 innings in the Atlanta Braves' 7-4 win Monday night.  —  Lowe must have felt right at home …

Stanton, Hensley lead resurgent Marlins past depleted Mets  —  NEW YORK — Clay Hensley came off the disabled list to win his first major league start in three years, leading the resurgent Florida Marlins past the New York Mets 4-1 on Monday night.  —  Mike Stanton hit a two-run double …

Pirates move into first-place in Central with win over Reds  —  PITTSBURGH — Charlie Morton pitched five shutout innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates moved into first place in the crowded NL Central with a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.  —  Pittsburgh kicked off an important …

Trade market snapshot  —  Generally speaking, baseball teams are valuing their better prospects and young big leaguers more highly now than a veteran National League executive can recall.  “Seems like the big-market teams have caught on,” the man told this blog.

Bucs eyeing bat, 'pen help before Deadline  —  PITTSBURGH — The Pirates' pursuit to upgrade in advance of the July 31 Trade Deadline appears to have the club eyeing two areas of need much more fervently than any other.  Multiple sources have told MLB.com that the Pirates' inquiries thus far …

Halladay leaves game early as Cubs beat Phillies  —  CHICAGO — Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena homered to back a dominant start by Rodrigo Lopez, and the Chicago Cubs beat Philadelphia 6-1 Monday on a night when Phillies ace Roy Halladay left the game because of the heat.

Sandoval homers to back by Vogelsong, Giants beat Dodgers  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Ryan Vogelsong pitched into the seventh inning and combined with two relievers on a seven-hitter, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.

Collmenter tosses gem, D-backs beat Milwaukee 3-0  —  PHOENIX - Josh Collmenter pitched eight innings of three-hit ball for his first win in six weeks and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 Monday night in the opener of their four-game series.

Red Sox Camps debuts in Washington area  —  When the Red Sox came to Nats Park two summers ago, the estimate was that something like 65 or 75 percent of the packed stands were filled with Red Sox fans.  It was an unforgettable atmosphere, filled with jarring accents, green t-shirts …

Nolan Ryan Hospitalized With Heart Pain  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Texas Rangers President Nolan Ryan is in a Houston hospital undergoing tests on his heart.  The Rangers said in a statement Monday the 64-year-old Ryan is “resting comfortably and reports he is feeling better.”

Ortiz begins serving three-game suspension  —  Red Sox DH has four-game ban for brawl with Orioles reduced  —  Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is not in the starting lineup for Monday night's game at Baltimore, as he will begin serving a suspension he received last week from Major League Baseball.

Pirates considering acquisition of pricey ‘rental’ players  —  HOUSTON — As they set their targets for trade offers, the Pirates are willing to consider acquiring a high-priced “rental” player to provide a boost in the playoff chase.  —  “We are open to various types of players …