Despite Ian Happ's struggles, Cubs manager Joe Maddon sticking with him in leadoff spot  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Manager Joe Maddon was fully committed to using Kyle Schwarber as the Cubs' primary leadoff hitter through the first month of 2017, and he isn't about to give up on Ian Happ in that role after only nine games.

Strong-starting Braves face struggling Nationals  —  The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals have gotten off to different starts so far this season.  —  Atlanta has won all three of its series to start the season while the Nationals, a team many believe to be one of baseball's best, has dropped five games in a row.

MLB power rankings: Astros unanimous choice for No. 1 spot  —  The first full week of the major league season is in the books.  —  The defending World Series champion Houston Astros, who are tied for with the Boston Red Sox for the most wins this season (8), were the unanimous choice for No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.

Shohei Ohtani gives up 1 hit in 7 shutout innings in home debut  —  EDITOR'S PICKS  —  After a solid first start on the mound and an impressive first week at the plate, the two-way wonder dominated the A's in a dazzling first start in Anaheim.  —  But when Ohtani finally yielded a hit …

Xander Bogaerts to miss 10-14 days with small fracture in ankle  —  Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts will miss the next 10-14 days with a small, non-displaced fracture in his left ankle.  —  The injury to Bogaerts' talus bone occurred when he slid into the Tamp Bay Rays' dugout …

Orioles give top pitching prospect Hunter Harvey his first big league call-up  —  The Orioles' bullpen carousel took another turn before the team's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday as top pitching prospect Hunter Harvey received his first big league call-up.

Cardinals leaning right as retooling of bullpen begins, Holland's arrival nears  —  The Cardinals began Sunday what should be a week of turnover and retooling in the bullpen, but as telling as any arm they'll add was the two feet locked in walking boots that morning.

Mark McGwire: Didn't need PEDs to hit 70 home runs  —  Mark McGwire insists he didn't need to use performance-enhancing drugs to hit 70 home runs, telling The Athletic in an interview published Monday that he would have accomplished that feat without help.  —  “Absolutely,” McGwire said.

Game Day: Arizona Diamondbacks open series on road vs. San Francisco Giants  —  Follow our updates as the Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Giants in San Francisco.  —  The first game of the series is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.  —  Zack Godley is set to start for Arizona, while Derek Holland is set to start for San Francisco.

Yadier Molina has to be restrained after Torey Lovullo makes remarks toward catcher  —  The St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina had to be restrained Sunday after Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo gestured at the catcher while he was arguing a called third strike against outfielder A.J. Pollock.

Mariners' Ryon Healy on 10-day disabled list with sprained ankle  —  First baseman Ryon Healy on Monday became the latest starting position player placed on the disabled list by the Seattle Mariners.  —  Healy, who sprained his ankle during a postgame workout on Saturday, was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to April 8.

Morton, Stassi lead Astros over Padres 4-1 for series win  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros right-hander Charlie Morton often marvels at the nameplates above the lockers in the corner of the clubhouse where his fellow starters sit.  —  Morton, the No. 5 starter on a pitching staff …

Baseball's got talent, but how much, at which positions and how far into the future?  —  One bit of conventional wisdom in baseball is that talent tends to be evenly distributed among the different positions.  This is more myth than rule because shortstops and first basemen aren't born …

SEE IT: 8-year-old with 3-D printed hand continues mission to throw first pitch at every MLB stadium at Giants game … Hailey Dawson took another step towards her goal of throwing out a first pitch in every Major League Baseball stadium.  —  The 8-year-old girl from Las Vegas …

Detroit Tigers' Ron Gardenhire: ‘Everybody is going to play’ vs. Indians  —  CLEVELAND — Victor Reyes and JaCoby Jones weren't in the starting lineup on Monday for the Detroit Tigers as they started a four-game series against the Indians, but should get playing time later this week.

Cubs prospect Duane Underwood Jr. to make long-awaited Triple-A debut on mound  —  Since he was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft, it may seem like it has taken Duane Underwood Jr., a long time to finally get to Triple-A.  —  But from the perspective of the Chicago Cubs …

Phenom Shohei Ohtani, streaking Robinson Cano visit the Royals in KC this week  —  The Royals are back in Kansas City for their first extended homestand of the season.  They'll host the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium for a three-game set (7:15 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 1:15 Wednesday, all on FSKC).

What's next for Phillies starter Jake Arrieta |  Extra Innings  —  Good morning, Phillies fans, and welcome to another edition of Extra Innings.  The Phillies missed a chance to reach .500 yesterday, but they still were able to earn their first series victory of the season by taking two of three from the hapless Marlins.