Cards need starting pitcher for Sunday; Wacha's in the mix  —  As often happens when a spot in the Cardinals rotation is open, manager Mike Shildt fielded questions that attempted to narrow down the contenders.  —  And as usual, Shildt deftly avoided answering so that the speculation would linger for another 24 hours.

Cubs To Sign Craig Kimbrel  —  9:06PM: The deal pays Kimbrel $10MM this season, and $16MM in both 2020 and 2021, ESPN.com's Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).  There is a vesting option for 2022 that pays Kimbrel $16MM if it vests, Heyman reports (via Twitter), while it becomes a club option if it doesn't vest.

Rookie Jon Duplantier settling in nicely as Diamondbacks starter  —  The first two months of the season have been a little chaotic for Diamondbacks rookie pitcher Jon Duplantier.  He is on his fourth stint with the major league club, with three trips to Triple-A Reno in between.

Cardinals target potential on final day of MLB draft  —  The pitcher the Cardinals made their seventh-round draft pick didn't throw a pitch in competition his first two seasons at UCLA, didn't have a role because his coach told the Los Angeles Times bluntly he “wasn't good enough,” …

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo takes advantage of extra days between starts  —  After a couple of uncharacteristic starts that featured too many walks and not enough strikeouts, Luis Castillo had three extra days to work with pitching coach Derek Johnson than usual.

Detroit Tigers on 2019 top pick Riley Greene: ‘Enjoy it and stay true to who you are’  —  Nobody can predict Riley Greene's future with the Detroit Tigers.  But he's off to a good start, receiving high praise from “Mr. Tiger” himself, Al Kaline.  —  Before Tuesday's game at Comerica Park …

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco out indefinitely after being diagnosed with blood condition  —  “We ask everyone to keep Carlos and his family in their thoughts during his challenging time.”  —  The Indians have announced that starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco is headed to the 10-day injured list …

Bote's career-high 7 RBIs lead Cubs over Rockies 9-8  —  David Bote drove in a career-high seven runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 9-8 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.  —  Bote had four hits, including a three-run homer and bases-clearing double to hand the Rockies …

Miami Marlins pleased with their draft class.  Now, the players have to produce  —  DJ Svihlik can finally take a step back and breathe.  —  After three days and 41 picks, the Miami Marlins' 2019 MLB Draft class — the first under Svihlik director as the Marlins' director of amateur scouting — is complete.

Solid outing will keep Minor in rumor mill.  Here are his thoughts on a possible trade  —  Mike Minor knows he hasn't been as good of late as he was earlier this season for the Texas Rangers, but the stuff has still been there and opposing teams haven't been making much hard contact against him.

Braves' Snitker on struggling Gausman: We need to get him right  —  When Kevin Gausman joined the Braves from the Orioles last July, he was a reclamation project of sorts.  He went on to provide 10 starts down the stretch, earning a 2.87 ERA for the National League champs.

There's a chance Aaron Judge could return for the Yankees' game in London  —  TORONTO — Aaron Judge is hitting in a batting cage at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa.  It's a step forward for the slugger, who has been out since April 21 with a strained left oblique.  —  But Big Ben is ticking.

A look at the Marlins' 17-game power surge and how it compares to their first 41 games  —  Ryan Braun didn't even bother to backtrack to the left-field fence in the fourth inning Tuesday when Garrett Cooper launched a solo home run out of Miller Park.  It was a no-doubter for the outfielder …

Haseley's first hit lifts scrambling Phils over Padres 7-5  —  Andrew Haseley and Andrew McCutchen shared a quiet moment in the Philadelphia clubhouse on Wednesday.  The 23-year-old Heasley made his big league debut a day earlier because of McCutchen's season-ending knee injury.

With MLB's current safety netting standards, danger is just a second away  —  Albert Almora Jr. (center) takes a knee as Jason Heyward (left) and manager Joe Maddon console him after hitting a foul ball into the stands which struck a young child during the fourth inning of a game against the Cubs and Astros on May 29.