Yankees Notebook: Aaron Boone excited to get reinforcements to open key series against the Dodgers  —  LOS ANGELES — Aaron Boone couldn't help but flash a smile Friday when asked how it felt to include Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson in the Yankees' lineup for the first time in a while.

Pitching makes 1-run lead stick as Diamondbacks top Braves in series opener  —  José M. Romero Michelle GardnerArizona Republic  —  Nevertheless, “Today's story is the same as yesterday's,” was Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo's refrain prior the series opener against the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves.

The Heat, like everybody else, had no answer for Nikola Jokic  —  Appreciate his precision or yawn at his pedestrian pace, you've never seen a basketball player like Nikola Jokic.  One of one in the history of the NBA.  —  There are shades of previous players, to be sure.  Tim Duncan.  Dirk Nowitzki.

Justin Steele diagnosed with forearm strain, but the Chicago Cubs don't anticipate an extended absence for the left-hander  —  SAN DIEGO — Justin Steele appears to have avoided a worst-case scenario.  —  The Chicago Cubs received good news from Steele's MRI with the lefty's diagnosis of a forearm strain.

Stephen Strasburg is completely shut down from physical activity again  —  Stephen Strasburg has not been able to perform any rehabilitation activities for more than a month, according to three people familiar with the situation, increasing doubt that the 34-year-old right-hander will ever pitch again.

Diamond Sports Group ordered to fully pay MLB teams' contracts  —  A U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled in favor of Major League Baseball and four of its teams in Houston on Thursday, forcing Diamond Sports Group, the RSN operator that airs broadcasts under the name Bally Sports, to fully pay the contracts in question.

From Taylor Swift to several sporting events: Traffic and big crowds arrive in Chicago this weekend  —  Summer has arrived in Chicago.  Perhaps unofficially, but sunny days, high temperatures and a variety of events across the city can only mean one thing: Summer living has certainly arrived.

Max Scherzer, Mark Canha power Mets past Phillies to complete sweep with 4-2 win  —  The Mets needed a sweep as badly as Mark Canha needed home runs.  They got both of those this week in a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.  —  Canha powered the Mets past the Phillies for the second …

Jeff Passan's early MLB trade deadline preview  —  Every Los Angeles Angels victory, every day they spend over .500, every win-now move they make reinforces what people across baseball now almost universally believe: They will not trade Shohei Ohtani, the best player in the world, before the 6 p.m. ET deadline Aug. 1.

Once Jordan Walker ‘relaxed’ his swing took flight, carrying him back to majors: Cardinals Extra  —  PITTSBURGH — As the luggage carousel went round and round and round Thursday afternoon at Pittsburgh International Airport, Jordan Walker retrieved one of his bags, but did not spot his second one.

Yankees recall Cabrera; Allen, Weber sent to IL  —  Out in the bullpen, the injured Ryan Weber was also swapped out for lefty Nick Ramirez.  —  Two days ago, in our staff post on Oswaldo Cabrera's demotion among the roster moves to activate Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and Tommy Kahnle, we said this at the end (emphasis mine):