‘He was going nuts’: Mets rookie Pete Alonso calls manager, pleads to be in lineup  —  ST. LOUIS — Mickey Callaway was heading to dinner with his parents in St. Louis on Saturday night when he received a phone call from his rookie first baseman, Pete Alonso.  —  It sounded some alarms in the mind of the manager.

Dustin Peterson almost got ‘decapitated’ in minors.  How it brought him to Detroit Tigers  —  Dustin Peterson, the Tigers' new outfielder, was sitting by his locker in Comerica Park.  —  “I know a little bit about your background,” I said.  “I know you were a high draft pick.  Big bonus.”

White Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez to miss Orioles series after being placed on bereavement list  —  Photos of Eloy Jimenez, the White Sox outfielder and No. 4-ranked prospect by Baseball America.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez will return to his hometown of Santo Domingo …

Donaldson homers twice, Braves rout Indians 11-5  —  Josh Donaldson had two homers and four RBIs, Freddie Freeman added three hits and the Atlanta Braves pounded Cleveland's pitching for the second straight night, beating the Indians 11-5 Sunday.  —  Donaldson belted a solo homer …

Brewers interested in Gio Gonzalez, will be competition for Mets: sources  —  Gonzalez was released by Yankees on Monday  —  The market for Gio Gonzalez will be more robust than it was in the winter, with the Milwaukee Brewers now interested in bringing the lefty back, according to major league sources.

Here's how Bryce Harper is doing with the Phillies so far  —  Bryce Harper has played the first 21 games of his Phillies career — out of a possible 2,106 regular-season games, assuming the length of the schedule doesn't change between now and 2031.  That's 1 percent of the potential games he might play …

Dodgers' arrival at Wrigley Field provides surging Cubs a measuring stick: ‘Right now it can go either way’  —  Chicago Tribune  —  With the Dodgers in town for a three-game series beginning Tuesday at Wrigley Field, the Cubs get an opportunity to show their recent surge is not a mirage.

5 Takeaways from a weekend that might've finally turned around the Red Sox season  —  There's an old proverb I made up when it looked like the Red Sox might lose Sunday's finale vs. the Rays: A starving man shouldn't demand dessert if he's just been fed shrimp cocktail and a porterhouse steak.

Peacock gets nod for Astros at home vs. Twins  —  Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch is forever adamant about stressing the significance of quality at-bats and remains an ardent supporter of his team's ability to compile them no matter the circumstance and against any opposing pitcher.

Fantasy baseball daily notes: Pitcher and hitter rankings for Tuesday  —  Given how rough pitching has been this year, I'm pleased to inform everyone that it's a rich pitching slate on Tuesday with several potential pickups, even beyond the three I've highlighted.

Yankees sign INF Brad Miller to minor league contract  —  With their depth being tested already and not a full month into the season, the Yankees signed infielder Brad Miller to a minor league contract Monday.  The utility infielder was designated for assignment by Cleveland on April 15.

Cardinals put Wacha on IL with knee tendinitis  —  The St. Louis Cardinals have placed pitcher Michael Wacha on the 10-day injured list with patellar tendinitis in his left knee.  —  The Cardinals announced the move Monday but have not disclosed how long Wacha will be sidelined.

Pirates' Polanco back from IL, set for '19 debut  —  Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco will make his season debut Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks after missing Pittsburgh's first 19 games while recovering from shoulder surgery.  —  Polanco will bat third in Pittsburgh's lineup …

A's Ramon Laureano robs home run, unleashes rocket throw to start double play  —  When it comes to spectacular plays on the diamond, Oakland A's outfielder Ramon Laureano already has a season's worth of highlights in less than a month.  —  Laureano, 24, first showed off his incredible throwing arm …

Chicago Cubs walk-off the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1  —  CHICAGO — David Bote hit a game-ending RBI single in the ninth inning, and the Chicago Cubs used a terrific performance by Tyler Chatwood to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 on Sunday.  —  Led by Chatwood's six sparkling innings, Chicago carried a 1-0 lead into the ninth.