MLB power rankings: Yankees' nine-game winning streak vaults them toward the top  —  The New York Yankees have shaken their early-season doldrums, sweeping the Los Angeles Angels for their ninth consecutive win.  —  Now 18-9, the Yankees have outscored opponents 64-18 during that streak …

Next Slide  —  Detroit Tigers left-handed pitcher Daniel Norris will have surgery to relieve pressure on a left groin strain later this week and is expected to go on the 60-day disabled list.  —  The team placed Norris on the 10-day disabled list on Monday, before Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire announced …

Gonzalez leads Mets' hit parade in 14-2 drubbing of Padres  —  SAN DIEGO — Adrian Gonzalez had a spectacular homecoming at Petco Park.  —  Facing the hometown team he once played for, Gonzalez homered, doubled and drove in five runs on Sunday to help the New York Mets overwhelm the San Diego Padres 14-2.

Surging Yankees sweep Angels  —  The Angels aren't hitting, aren't scoring, aren't winning.  —  There's one other thing they aren't doing, not even after another low-octane loss that gave the New York Yankees a three-game sweep at Angel Stadium.  —  “I'm not panicking,” infielder Zack Cozart said after Sunday's 2-1 loss.

The Dodgers are favored to win the NL West.  Or they're not  —  The Dodgers remain the favorites to win the National League West.  Or not.  Depends where you look.  —  On the last day of April, the Dodgers awoke in fourth place in the NL West, four games under .500 and seven games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Phillies in need of a lefthander |  Extra Innings  —  One of the reasons the Atlanta Braves have dominated the season series against the Phillies so far is quite simple to figure out.  They have a lineup loaded with dangerous lefthanded hitters whenever the opposition sends a righthander to the mound.

Nobody is grouchy when Blue Jays' Teoscar is on  —  When the Blue Jays start getting guys back from the disabled list (Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki), there will be some tough decisions that will have to be made.  —  But it's becoming pretty clear that one of those decisions …

Nick Kingham moves into Pirates rotation after near-perfect debut  —  WASHINGTON — Pirates rookie Nick Kingham's nearly perfect debut has earned him at least one more start in the majors.  —  Kingham took a perfect game into the seventh inning of his first big league start …

Roache's homer leads Springfield to 8-4 win over Arkansas  —  SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Victor Roache hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, leading the Springfield Cardinals to an 8-4 win over the Arkansas Travelers on Monday.  —  Hector Mendoza got Chuck Taylor to hit into a triple play …

Cincinnati Reds 2018 notes: Rookie Alex Blandino proving he belongs  —  Some debuts in Major League Baseball are memorable and some would rather be forgotten.  —  For Cincinnati Reds rookie Alex Blandino, his first stint in the big leagues was anything but smooth with a 1-for-17 stretch at the plate.

This Year's MLB Tankfest Is Epic (And Maybe Pointless)  —  The 2018 MLB season could end up being defined by a lot of things, including the possibility of even more tinkering to the baseball, an epic spate of strikeouts or the disappointing performance of the league's supposed superteams.

Observations from the first month of the Iowa Cubs season  —  Chicago Cubs pitching prospect makes Triple-A debut Friday  —  That went by fast.  —  The first month of the Iowa Cubs season is complete.  And boy was it an interesting.  —  Fans are Principal Park got to see the Chicago …

Power Rankings: How long can the Red Sox hold on to No. 1?  —  This week's rankings featured some major moves within the top 10.  Welcome the Cubs and the Phillies back to MLB's top tier, as the Cubs made an expected return thanks to some strong starting pitching, while the hard-charging …

Why this player might just be the most underrated prospect in White Sox farm system  —  If you've been following the prospects in the stacked White Sox minor league farm system, you've probably heard all about Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert.  If you know those guys …

Phillies Place Victor Arano On 10-Day DL  —  The Phillies have placed righty Victor Arano on the 10-day DL, per a club announcement.  He has been diagnosed with a strained right rotator cuff.  —  To replace Arano on the active roster, the Phils have promoted fellow right Zach Eflin.

Twins To Promote Fernando Romero  —  Twins skipper Paul Molitor announced today that the club would promote top pitching prospect Fernando Romero to join the rotation, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN was among those to tweet.  He'll take the ball on Wednesday night.

Dustin Pedroia says he's targeting May 25 return to Red Sox  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. - Dustin Pedroia, who played his first game in extended spring training on Friday, now finally has a target date in sight for a return to the Red Sox lineup.  —  Pedroia outlined a timeline for his return …

Which players' slow starts should scare you, and why  —  “It's still early!” is the motto of April baseball.  Everyone knows in their hearts that the guy on pace for 324 home runs after Opening Day and the slugger hitting .090 are not going to finish the season anywhere near those figures.