With Cubs clinging to NL Central lead, their rotation remains in a state of flux  —  Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish speaks about his rehab assignment.  August 17, 2018 (Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Even precautionary measures couldn't prevent the Cubs from suffering another setback to their delicate rotation.

Yankees' Severino tries to get back into groove vs. Jays  —  NEW YORK — One of the many questions surrounding the New York Yankees as they slog through mid-August is the state of Luis Severino and his recent performances.  —  Severino will be five days removed from his shortest start …

Indians' Trevor Bauer has stress fracture in leg, to miss 4-6 weeks  —  CLEVELAND — Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer, one of the leading candidates for the AL Cy Young Award, will be out four to six weeks because of a stress fracture in his right leg.

Dodgers had the depth to survive key injuries in the past; Kenley Jansen is a different story  —  When the New York Mets spent the first pick of the 1961 expansion draft on a catcher, manager Casey Stengel explained why.  —  “You gotta have a catcher,” he said, “or you're gonna have a lot of passed balls.”

Gabe Kapler using Phillies' position players to pitch was ‘strategy decision’  —  A loss was accepted sometime in the fifth inning on Thursday afternoon when the Phillies' array of defensive miscues kept digging a deeper hole.  —  So Gabe Kapler shifted his attention to the second game …

Scherzer picks up 16th win, Nationals beat Marlins 8-2  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Max Scherzer is using all his tools to help keep the Nationals' playoff hopes alive.  —  Scherzer pitched six scoreless innings, doubled and scored twice as the Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 8-2 on Friday night for his major league-leading 16th win.

Matt Olson homers in 10th, A's pull within game of Astros  —  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) With September approaching, the Oakland Athletics are showing the baseball world what they believed from the start: This group and its young sluggers are ready to make a playoff push.

Matt Davidson hitting cleanup for White Sox against Royals — his favorite opponent  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Matt Davidson is looking for a good weekend against the Royals.  He's in the White Sox lineup Friday night against right-hander Jakob Junis, off whom he homered twice April 26 in Kansas City.

Orioles fall 50 games below .500, incredible 50½ games behind Red Sox  —  The 2017 World Series teams are struggling with injuries and depth.  Can they make it back to the postseason?  USA TODAY Sports  —  CONNECT  —  The Baltimore Orioles' miserable season struck a new low.

What Aaron Judge's absence means for the rest of his season  —  NEW YORK — Aaron Judge has willingly embraced his current role as the New York Yankees' big-bodied hype man and cheerleader on the bench.  —  But he's long past ready to retire from it.  —  When the right fielder was taken …

Injury to Jeremy Hellickson latest blow to Nats' pitching staff  —  WASHINGTON — The struggling Washington Nationals have lost another pitcher to injury.  —  Starter Jeremy Hellickson will be placed on the disabled list after an MRI revealed a sprain to his right wrist area.

Last Slide  —  SAN DIEGO - Twice in the early innings on Thursday night, a Padres hitter scorched a ball to left field, and twice the Diamondbacks' David Peralta raced to make a play, the first ball taking him into the gap, the second one back toward the wall.

Angels' revolving rotation of pitchers fails again in 6-4 loss to Rangers  —  Rougned Odor and the Texas Rangers quickly got after yet another new Angels pitcher.  —  Odor's two-run single capped a five-run outburst in the second inning off recently acquired Odrisamer Despaigne …

Astros activate George Springer from the disabled list  —  , Houston Chronicle  —  Houston Astros George Springer during batting practice before the start of an MLB game at Minute Maid Park, Tuesday, August 14, 2018, in Houston.  —  2 of 10  —  Houston Astros George Springer during batting practice …

Last Slide  —  SAN DIEGO - The Arizona Diamondbacks won another game they ought to have won, beating up on the last-place San Diego Padres by a score of 9-4 on Friday night.  The evening had a different feel in a far corner of the visitors' clubhouse, where Robbie Ray stood in front of his locker without answers.

Colorado cruises in win over Braves  —  ATLANTA — Ian Desmond tripled and drove in five runs, Kyle Freeland pitched six strong innings and the Colorado Rockies coasted to an 11-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.  —  The Rockies have won six of seven, and they're 28-14 since June 28, tops in the NL over that span.

Last Slide  —  SAN DIEGO - Former Diamondbacks prospect Touki Toussaint made his major-league debut this week, tossing six innings of one-run ball for the Atlanta Braves.  Among those following Toussaint from afar was Padres bullpen coach Doug Bochtler.  —  “To watch him go out there and take the ball …

Bottom 8th Balls: Strikes: Outs: … Bottom of 8:  —  Mariners eighth.  Rosscup pitching.  Haniger grounded out, third baseman Turner to first baseman Muncy.  Canó flied out to right fielder K.Hernández.  —  Runs: 0, Hits: 0  —  Top of 8:  —  Dodgers eighth.  Herrmann in as catcher.