Cincinnati Reds' slumping Elly De La Cruz benched for crucial game vs. Minnesota Twins  —  Elly De La Cruz, the long-slumping Cincinnati Reds rookie shortstop, was benched Wednesday for the third time in eight games, first against a right-handed starter for the switch-hitter who has struggled against lefties since his June 6 debut.

Chicago White Sox expected to add 3 new front office members: Josh Barfield, Brian Bannister and Gene Watson  —  WASHINGTON — Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol lauded Josh Barfield's presence, Brian Bannister's creativity and Gene Watson's wealth of knowledge.

How the $445 million Mets crashed and burned  —  It was May, barely a month into the Mets season, and the visiting clubhouse at Comerica Park was silent.  The typical frenzy of a getaway day had been replaced by introspection, players sitting at nearly every locker, heads down as they scrolled through their phones.

Sources: Rays calling up top prospect Junior Caminero  —  The Tampa Bay Rays are calling up top infield prospect Junior Caminero, bolstering their roster for a stretch run that will cap one of the best seasons in franchise history, sources told ESPN.  —  Caminero, who turned 20 in July …

MLB qualifying offer getting increase to record high  —  The Major League Baseball qualifying offer will rise to approximately $20.5 million for players on the upcoming free-agent market, The Post has learned.  —  An exact figure must be agreed to by MLB and the MLB Players Association …

Oakland vs. the A's: The inside story of how it all went south (to Las Vegas)  —  AT 6 P.M. ON Wednesday, April 19, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was driving home from an event for the opening of a local business when she received a call from A's president Dave Kaval.  —  “Hey, just a heads-up,” Thao recalls Kaval saying.

Detroit rookie Reese Olson pitches the Tigers past the Dodgers 4-2 to avoid a sweep  —  Reese Olson continues to make his case for being a part of the Detroit Tigers rotation next season.  The rookie won for the third time in his last four starts, combining with two relievers on a three-hitter …

Tigers Name Jeff Greenberg General Manager  —  The Tigers announced Thursday morning that they've hired Jeff Greenberg as their new general manager.  The 37-year-old Greenberg worked with current Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris with the Cubs, serving as the team's director …

Giants' Brandon Crawford injured in what might be his last game with S.F.  —  UPDATE: The Giants on Thursday put Brandon Crawford on the injured list and recalled shortstop Marco Luciano.  —  PHOENIX — Their playoff hopes growing dimmer, the San Francisco Giants piled up yet another loss …

It's not the job of USC's Lincoln Riley or any news source to dictate coverage  —  The two-week ban of Southern California News Group reporter Luca Evans is a gross overreaction to procedural missteps  —  LOS ANGELES — Maybe Lincoln Riley forgets that he is now coaching in the No. 2 media market …

Giancarlo Stanton's uncertain Yankees future, Clarke Schmidt's workload, Chad Green's visit  —  NEW YORK - Trotting around the bases is Giancarlo Stanton's specialty, but he's a good distance past being the impact offensive force the Yankees once envisioned.  —  This isn't anything new.