Mets outfielder Michael Conforto appears primed to make season debut Thursday against Nationals  —  Michael Conforto has cleared all the necessary hurdles, and barring some unforeseen setback or unfortunate weather development, it appears he will be in the lineup Thursday when the Mets open …

Former Astros coach Rich Dauer makes emotional return for first pitch ceremony  —  First pitches don't often bring a tear to the eye, but the one Monday afternoon in Houston was a little out of the ordinary.  —  As the Astros unveiled their World Series banner in front of a sellout crowd …

Mariners bang out 12 hits and withstand San Francisco Giants' late rally to hold on for a 6-4 win  —  Edwin Diaz put an end to the Giants' hopes of a comeback win and notched his third save of the season for Seattle  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Coming into the 2018 season, it was apparent …

Zobrist: Reds grounds crew ‘nearly ran me over’  —  Chicago Cubs infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist was on the field when the Cincinnati Reds' grounds crew snapped into action in advance of Tuesday's scheduled game at Great American Ball Park.  And he said they didn't wait for him to leave …

Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury shut down ‘for a couple of days’ with hip issue  —  NEW YORK — Injured veteran Jacoby Ellsbury's return has hit a snag as the New York Yankees' banged-up outfield waits on a couple of key players to come off the disabled list.  —  According to manager Aaron Boone …

The story behind White Sox coach Daryl Boston's whistle and Josh Donaldson's reaction  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Daryl Boston tried to learn how to whistle on his own.  —  He even turned to YouTube to watch instructional videos.  But the White Sox first-base coach couldn't get the sound …

Indians hoping to maintain dominance over Angels  —  The Cleveland Indians will try to extend their winning streak against the Los Angeles Angels to 13 games when they meet Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.  —  The Indians (2-2) beat the Angels 6-0 in the opener of their three-game series Monday night …

Detroit Tigers can't shake off bad weather in 1-0 loss to K.C. Royals  —  This is one way to speed up the pace of play in baseball.  —  The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals played in terrible weather conditions on Tuesday afternoon at Comerica Park; the temperature was in the high-30's …

Commanding the strike zone is key for the young pitchers in the Cincinnati Reds rotation  —  Next time you watch Tyler Mahle pitch, watch Tucker Barnhart's mitt.  If it's not moving, Mahle is likely going to be good.  If Barnhart is reaching for pitches, Mahle is probably going to be in trouble.

Tommy Pham Waited Forever to Make It.  Now, He's Got Plenty to Say About His Journey.  —  Created with Sketch.  — The Cardinals may have cost Tommy Pham millions by stashing him in the minor leagues, but that won't stop the outfielder from maximizing his time in the big leagues …

Ross returns to Padres' rotation to face Rockies  —  SAN DIEGO — When Tyson Ross was healthy and at his best, the 6-foot-6 right-hander was an All-Star for the Padres.  —  He had a 23-26 record over the 2014-15 seasons with a 3.03 ERA in 64 starts covering 391 1/3 innings.

Photos: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers … When he was sent up as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 15th inning, Jeff Mathis controlled his own destiny.  He knew if he got a hit, the Diamondbacks would dance on the infield at Chase Field.  If he didn't, a different fate would befall him.

Fans at Yankee Stadium react to added protective netting following Todd Frazier foul ball last season  —  Yankee fans from Sydney, Australia, Ben and Claire Saw had come a long way to be here for Opening Day, and they were surprised to find themselves protected by extended netting in their seats behind the first-base dugout.

Aces have their place in Rangers-A's matchup  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Two teams struggling on offense will find themselves challenged by staff pitching aces Tuesday night when the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics meet for the second time in their four-game series.

MLB team Twitter hashtags for 2018 season  —  It's another season of Major League Baseball, so that means another new batch of Twitter hashtags.  —  This is the list all of the teams in MLB and their hashtags for the 2018 season.  —  The teams are listed alphabetically.

MLB legend Keith Hernandez returns to Twitter  —  Former St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets star Keith Hernandez has returned to Twitter after nearly a two-year absence.  —  The 64-year-old first baseman-turned-SNY broadcaster composed his first tweet since October of 2015 on March 30 …