BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA

Mike Trout, last season’s American League Rookie of the Year and MVP runner-up, became the youngest AL player to hit for the cycle and third youngest in the major leagues since 1930. Trout’s eighth-inning solo shot culminated an evening that followed a single in the third, RBI triple in the fourth, and three-run double in the sixth. Trout drove in five runs, and he leads the team with 34 runs batted in. His slugging percentage (.558) leads the team as well. There is no doubt Trout will be in the mix once again this year for AL MVP, but will he be able to catch Miguel Cabrera?

MLB NEWS & NOTES

• Ryan Howard went 3-for-5 with three RBI in the Phillies’ 7-3 win over the Marlins on Tuesday. Howard looks healthy this year and should continue to produce, but not at the level he did in 2008 and 2009. Those days are gone.
• Jered Weaver (elbow) could be activated after his appearance at extended spring training on Wednesday. Angels manager announced the great news before Wednesday’s game and if it works out it will put Weaver in line to rejoin the rotation next week.
• Max Scherzer dominated the Indians over eight innings Tuesday in the  Tigers’ 5-1 victory. At one point, he retired 22 straight Indians, who have been the hottest team in baseball in the last week. Scherzer was able to slow them down and gave up just two hits. He will face the Twins in his next start.
• Matt Garza didn’t earn a victory Tuesday in he season debut, but he was great in the five innings he pitched. Once again, an anemic Cubs bullpen was unable to hold a lead. Garza held the Pirates scoreless on one hit and three walks over those five innings.
• Rafael Betancourt (groin) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday. Betancourt left Tuesday’s game with a tight right groin, an issue which has lingering since late April. Betancourt Betancourt hopes to avoid a stint on the disabled list, but fantasy owners should pick up Rex Brothers who is the likely favorite for saves if Betancourt has to miss time. Wilton Lopez could also get an opportunity to close.
• Jerome Williams was excellent in eight innings against the Mariners to earn the win Tuesday night. Williams has been so good for the Angels, going 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA in four starts and seven relief appearances. One would think that Williams will remain in the Angels rotation when Jered Weaver returns from the disabled list with Joe Blanton moving to long relief. Blanton is 0-7 with a 6.62 ERA, which ranks as the most losses and highest ERA of any American League starter.
• Hanley Ramirez (hamstring) ran in the outfield before Tuesday’s game. It’s the first time he’s run since a left hamstring strain forced him to the disabled list earlier this month. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that Ramirez continues to make progress but will be brought along slowly.
• Chase Utley was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup after feeling discomfort in his right side during batting practice. He will be examined today so we should learn more soon.
• Brian McCann went 3-for-4 with a home run Tuesday night and is now hitting .282 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 12 games since returning from the disabled list.
• Adam Wainwright was dominant once again on Tuesday night in San Diego. Wainwright gave up one run on four hits and one walk, while racking up six strikeouts across 7.1 innings as the Cardinals beat up on the Padres.

BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA

Ian Kinsler (ribs) was placed on the disabled list Sunday, making Jurickson Profar the Rangers’ second baseman for the next couple of weeks. Profar was hitting .278 with four homers and six steals in 166 at-bats for Triple-A Round Rock, and he’ll be worth playing in all formats while Kinsler is out. Rangers manager Ron Washington said Profar and Leury Garcia will share time at second base. Tuesday night, Profar did get the start and went 0-for-2 with two RBI.

The bigger question is whether he’ll remain with the Rangers once Kinsler comes back from the disabled list. The Rangers haven’t gotten much from their left or center fielders this year, and if Profar can hit it would make sense to give him the opportunity to play in the outfield and see what he can do.The Rangers have not had him play in the outfield at any point in his minor league career, but he is so athletic and could learn a new position quickly.

MLB NEWS & NOTES

• Clayton Kershaw proved again why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Kershaw pitched his second complete game of the season Monday in the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory over the Brewers. Kershaw gave up just three-hits and struck out five. Kershaw was given an extra day of rest after throwing 134 pitches in his last outing and he made it look easy in Milwaukee.
• Matt Kemp hit his second homer of the season Monday off the Dodgers’ Yovani Gallardo. This is a great sign and hopefully a sign of things to come for Kemp this season.
• Shane Victorino (hamstring) left with a mild hamstring injury is considered day-to-day. Victorino left Monday’s game against the White Sox with left hamstring tightness, but it does not sound too serious.
• Aroldis Chapman converted his ninth save of the season Monday night. Chapman looked like himself as he had two strikeouts in the three batters he faced after blowing his two previous save opportunities.
• Eric O’Flaherty will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn left ulnar collateral ligament. In addition to missing the rest of this season, O’Flaherty will be sidelined for the first couple months of the 2014 campaign as well.
• Chris Davis went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk Monday against the Yankees. Davis has 13 home runs so far this year.
• Jay Bruce extended his hit streak to 11 games Monday night. Bruce went 2-for-4 with his sixth home run of the year against the Mets. Bruce has hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games, raising his batting average more than 30 points.
• Jim Johnson blew another save Monday against the Yankees as he allowed one run and two hits in the ninth inning. He does have 14 saves this season and he should bounce back soon.
• Mariano Rivera earned his 17th save of the season Monday against Baltimore. Rivera is incredible and continues to please those fantasy owners that drafted him for his farewell season.
• Johnny Cueto was wild in his first appearance since returning from the disabled list, but pitched well enough to earn his second win of the season. Cueto pitched five innings after he gave up the three-run homer to Marlon Byrd, he really settled down. One would expect Cueto’s control issues to improve in his next start against the Cubs.

BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA

It was the Miguel Cabrera show last night in Texas, but the Tigers still lost to the Rangers 11-8. Cabrera went 4-for-4 and blasted three home runs that traveled a combined 1,250 feet. Cabrera’s third blast was a 404-footer to center in the eighth inning, giving him his first three-home run game since May 28, 2010. Cabrera now owns a .387 batting  average this season and he leads all of MLB with 47 RBI. We are watching one of the best pure hitters in the history of the game do what he does best on a nightly basis. The debate this year was should fantasy owners draft Cabrera or Mike Trout with the #1 pick this year. Trout is pretty good too and he continues to heat up at the plate in the last week. Trout has a respectable line (.278 BA, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 29 RUNS, 8 SB) and will continue to be a top tier fantasy player for years to come. But, for every fantasy owner that selected Cabrera with that top pick – you made the right choice.

MLB NEWS & NOTES

• Justin Masterson threw a shutout against Seattle on Sunday. Masterson racked up 11 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings, during Cleveland’s easy victory. Masterson is really breaking out this season as he has seven wins and each of them are quality starts. He’ll face Boston in his next start.
• Jay Bruce hit his fourth home run in May in the Reds loss to the Phillies on Sunday and is now batting .328 in 67 at-bats this month. Bruce’s extreme highs and lows continue at the plate continue to frustrate fantasy owners, but by the end of the season the production is always there.
• Ian Kinsler was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an intercostal muscle strain and recalled Jurickson Profar. Profar is expected to get all the starts at second base while Kinsler is on the disabled list. Baseball’s top prospect was batting .278 with four homers and six steals in 37 games at the Triple-A.
• Jason Grilli earned his 17th save on Sunday and he did it on just ten pitches. Grilli is closing games with such ease. Grilli owns a 0.92 ERA and has 31 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings. One can argue that Grilli is the best closer in the game right now, but my money is still on Mariano Rivera.
• Andrew McCutchen is day-to-day with right knee soreness. McCutchen was injured sliding into home Thursday, but it does not appear to be a major concern and he isn’t dealing with any structural damage.
• Jason Vargas threw seven scoreless innings in the Angels win Sunday over the White Sox. In his last four starts, Vargas is 3-0 and the Angels are 4-0. Vargas has gone seven innings in each of his last two starts with both starts being quality starts.
• Felix Hernandez wasn’t sharp Sunday as he allowed five earned runs in just five innings in a loss to the Indians. King Felix left his previous start with a minor back issue so there could be something going on there. As long as he is healthy, he should bounce back in his next start.
• Craig Kimbrel picked up his third save in as many days Sunday by striking out the side against the Dodgers. Kimbrel gave up just one hit, one walk, and he struck out 7 during the series against the Dodgers.
• Matt Magill allowed just one unearned run in five innings against the Braves on Sunday. Magill struck out eight while giving four hits and three walks, but the Dodgers bullpen could not hold the lead.

BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA

Matt Garza should make his 2013 Cubs debut next week after a successful rehab start at Triple-A Des Moines on Thursday night. Garza worked six shutout innings allowing two hits, walking none and striking out six in a 1-0 win over Tucson. Garza, who has been recovering from a strained left lat muscle will have about two months to work before the July 31 trade deadline, when the Cubs must decide whether to deal him or hang on to him in the hope of signing him to an extension. Unless  Cubs management decides to wait, look for Garza to start next week in Pittsburgh.

MLB NEWS & NOTES

• David Price (triceps) was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Alex Torres was recalled to take Price’s place and look for the Rays to recall Jake Odorizzi or Chris Archer to make a start as well.
• Roy Halladay underwent surgery to remove a bone spur and repair his torn right rotator cuff. Halladay plans to return throwing in 6-8 weeks and is confident that he will be back in the Phillies rotation at some point in 2013.
• Ryan Vogelsong will make his next scheduled start on Monday against the Nationals. Giants manager Bruce Bochy was considering replacing Vogelsong, but Bochy is going to give him another start. Vogelsong has an 8.06 ERA and has not won a game since April 11.
• Jonny Venters underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery on Thursday afternoon. This is the second time Venters has had the procedure in his career. It will be a long road back for him.
• Tommy Hanson could be back in the Angels rotation on May 25. Hanson has been out since the death of his step-brother earlier this month.
• Andy Pettitte left Thursday’s game with a tight left trapezius muscle. The Yankees announced later that they are not that concerned about the injury which is good news. We should learn more about the injury today.
• Justin Verlander had his shortest outing in three years on Thursday night. He pitched 2 2/3 innings and he allowed eight runs. It was surprising to watch Verlander get rocked by the Rangers. Look for Verlander to rebound in his next start.
• Stephen Strasburg earned his second victory of the season Thursday night at San Diego. He pitched a career-high eight innings and allowed just one earned run and three hits with four strikeouts.
• Cameron Maybin took swings in the cage Thursday for the first time since injuring his right wrist on April 15. He is making progress but that is about it right now.
• Jarrod Dyson (ankle) has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. The Royals recalled David Lough from Omaha to take Dyson’s spot. Dyson hurt his ankle when he climbed the wall to try and catch a home run hit by Mike Trout.

BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA.

After Ryan Vogelsong’s ugly performance in Toronto on Wednesday night, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Vogelsong is not guaranteed to take his scheduled turn in the rotation on Monday. Vogelsong was hammered again and pitched only two innings, his shortest start with the Giants. Although Marco Scutaro and Angel Pagan committed errors that contributed mightily to Vogelsong’s line – eight runs, three earned – the right-hander showed no signs of improvement and allowed four runs on homers by Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia. Once again, Bochy and pitching coach Dave Righetti are faced with a difficult conversation and question: Should they pull Vogelsong and his 8.06 ERA from the rotation? The decision will be made in the next few days.

MLB NEWS & NOTES

• Zack Greinke (collarbone) looked good through 5 1/3 innings Wednesday night against the Nationals. He held the Nats to just one run on five hits and he had four strike outs. Greinke was limited to just 83 pitches, but the Dodgers have to be pleased with his performance.
• Shin-Soo Choo went 4-for-5 with two home runs as the Reds won in Miami. Choo now has nine home runs this year and now is batting .322.
• Ryan Madson (elbow) will move his rehab assignment up to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday and will remain there for “several weeks.” Madson thinks he ready to return to the Angels bullpen now, but management wants to be careful so to avoid futher issues. Don’t look for Madson to return until sometime in June.
• Johnny Cueto (lat, oblique) will be activated from the disabled list and pitch Monday against the Mets. Cueto threw five shutout innings Tuesday in a rehab start with the Low-A Daytona Dragons and declared himself fully healthy and ready to go.
• Billy Butler went 1-for-4 with two RBI against the Angels on Wednesday. Butler caught fire on this road trip as he went 8-for-13 (.615) with a home run, nine RBI and four runs scored during the three-game series against the Angels
• Yasmani Grandal will begin a minor league rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Tucson. Grandal is still serving his 50-game suspension for a positive PED test, but he is allowed to begin a 10-game minor league assignment. He will return to the Padres on May 28 and start in a platoon situation with Nick Hundley.
• John Gast will likely start again on Sunday in place of injured Jake Westbrook. Gast breezed through the first five innings against the Mets on Tuesday night. He gave up four runs in the sixth inning and he struck out three.
• Manny Machado continues to swing a hot bat. On Wednesday, he collected four hits – three doubles – and scored three runs against the Padres.
• Adam Dunn went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs. Dunn’s three hits almost matched the number of hits (four) he had the rest of May. Dunn won’t provide fantasy owners much in the way of batting average (.156),but he still has power.
• The Phillies signed Carlos Zambrano to a minor league contract and the Dodgers signed Jonathan Sanchez on Wednesday. Whatever….

BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA.

There was a scary moment at Dodgers Stadium last night as Bryce Harper crashed into the right field wall chasing after a ball hit by A.J. Ellis. Harper immediately dropped to the ground after hitting the wall. Harper laid on the warning track motionless for a few minutes before standing up on his own. Nationals manager Davey Johnson was concerned Harper had a concussion. Blood started to trickle down Harper’s neck, but the good news was that Harper did not have to be carried off the field on a stretcher. He had 11 stitches and no concussion, and walked off without assistance. Harper is off to a great start this season hitting .303 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI. The Nationals will be cautious with Harper, but let’s hope he is not out too long.

MLB NEWS & NOTES

• Justin Upton returned to Arizona for the first time since being traded by the Diamondbacks to the Braves. In this highly anticipated return, Upton made the Diamondbacks regret trading him as he went 4-for-5 with his first home run since late April.
• B.J. Upton’s season continues to go in the complete opposite direction from Justin’s season. Upton suffered a left shoulder contusion Monday when he was hit by a pitch and is considered day-to-day. Unfortunate that he got hurt, but maybe a few days off will give Upton some to figure out how to dig himself out of this terrible start to the season.
• Justin Masterson threw a gem on Monday against the Yankees for his sixth win of the season. Masterson gave up four hits in a 1-0 victory and now owns a 3.14 ERA after nine starts this year.
• Jordan Zimmerman became the first pitcher in MLB to get to seven victories this year. Zimmerman allowed two runs over 7 2/3 innings against the Dodgers. Zimmerman gave up nine hits, but no home runs and currently holds a 1.69 ERA for the season.
• Austin Jackson (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a pulled hamstring. Avisail Garcia was called up from Triple-A Toledo and is expected to get the majority of the playing time in center field while Jackson is out.
• Jean Segura went 3-for-5 with three stolen bases Monday against the Pirates. He now leads the National league with a .368 batting average and 13 stolen bases. It’s unlikely Segura will continue to hit at this pace, but he should finish the season with a solid average and provide plenty of steals.
• Billy Butler went 5-for-5 with five RBI in the Royals victory over the Angels Monday night.
• Erick Aybar (hamstring) is expected to return to the Angels lineup today. The Angels need Aybar back in the lineup and setting the table for Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Josh Hamilton to start driving him in.
• Travis Wood threw seven scoreless innings Monday against the Rockies and has a 2.03 ERA through his eight starts this year.
• Curtis Granderson could be activated from the disabled list Tuesday after he completed his fifth rehab game Monday at Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA.

As they did with Starlin Castro a year ago, the Cubs have moved quickly to lock up first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a long-term contract, giving them a chance to build a team around him into the next decade. The deal is reportedly a seven-year deal with $41 million with two club options for $14.5 million that could bring the total to $73 million. Some may criticize Cubs President Theo Epstein for committing to Rizzo, but this is a smart move. Rizzo is an excellent defender at first base and his offensive production continues to improve and he does not turn 24 years old until August. Like the Castro deal, Rizzo’s deal is team friendly while leaving resources for the Cubs to jump into the free agent market when the Cubs are closer to contending.

MLB NEWS & NOTES

• Chris Sale was nearly perfect on Sunday night. Sale went 6 1/3 innings with a perfect game in tact, but settled for a one-hit shutout against the Angels. Mike Trout broke up the bid for perfection with a clean single in the 7th inning.
• Mariano Rivera is retiring at the end of this season, but he does not look like a pitcher that is anywhere close to needing to retire. Rivera earned his 15th save of the season as the Yankees defeated the Royals on Sunday in Kansas City. Rivera has a 1.65 ERA in 16 1/3 innings this year.
• Troy Tulowitzki belted his eighth home run of the season in the Rockies victory over the Cardinals on Sunday in St. Louis.
• Erick Aybar (ankle) hopes to be back in the Angels lineup today. Aybar fielded ground balls and took batting practice on Sunday in Chicago.
• Jason Grilli has been the best closer in baseball this year. On Sunday, he earned his 15th save of the season as the Pirates defeated the Mets.
• Chris Davis hit his 11th home run in the Orioles defeat of the Twins on Sunday. Davis has continued to hit in May and now owns a .313  batting average in 37 games.
• Michael Cuddyer (neck) was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed cervical disc. The Rockies gave Cuddyer a few days to determine if he was feeling any better, but that was not happening so the decision was made to put him on the disabled list.
• Ryan Madson (elbow) will be activated from the disabled list this week. While its great news for the Angels to get another arm in the bullpen, don’t look for Madson to take the closer role from Ernesto Frieri anytime soon.
• Tommy Hanson has been scratched from his next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Angels. Hanson, who lost his step-brother on Friday, understandably needs more time to deal with the aftermath.
• Chris Capuano surprisingly allowed just one-run in 6 1/3 innings and struck out seven as the Dodgers won. Oh wait, Capuano beat the Marlins…..

BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA

Roy Halladay met with a shoulder specialist in Los Angeles on Monday. After that meeting, he is encouraged that he will pitch again this season. Halladay expects to have arthroscopic surgery next week to remove a bone spur, and repair a partial tear in the rotator cuff and some fraying in the labrum. Since last season, the Phillies haven’t known what was going on with Halladay. He didn’t seem right in spring training last year, and he did some time on the disabled list with what was described as an injury to his upper back. He was supposed to be back to normal when he returned to Clearwater, Fla., this spring, but it quickly became apparent this was going to be a new normal for Halladay. There is no way to put a timetable on his return to the Phillies rotation.

MLB NEWS & NOTES

• Adrian Gonzalez left Wednesday’s game after he aggravated a mild strain in his left trapezius muscle at the base of his neck after he collided with an umpire while running to field a ground ball. The injury is considered minor, so consider Gonzalez day-to-day.
• J.J. Putz (elbow) was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow strain. Since setup man David Hernandez is struggling, Heath Bell will be the first guy to get the opportunity to close games for the Diamondbacks. After allowing a leadoff double to pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker, Bell retired the next three Dodgers in order to pick up his third save of the year.
• Clayton Kershaw could not even stop Paul Goldschmidt from beating the Dodgers Wednesday night. Goldschmidt continued his assault on Dodgers pitching as he homered twice and drove in all three of the D-backs runs as they beat the Dodgers 3-2. Goldschmidt leads the National League with 30 RBIs and he’s hitting .336 with seven home runs.
• Jordan Zimmerman continues to be the best pitcher in the majors after he allowed just one earned run on seven hits over seven innings in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Detroit. Zimmerman struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 1.59. He’ll face the Dodgers in Los Angeles in his next start.
• A.J. Pierzynski was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique. Pierzynski has been out since May 6th, but he is still feeling discomfort so the Rangers made the decision to put him on the DL.
• Johnny Cueto (lat, oblique) will begin his rehab assignment tonight when he pitches for the Reds’ Class-A Dayton Dragons. Cueto was supposed to start his rehab assignment a week ago, but he felt discomfort in his oblique. It will be interesting to learn how he feels after his outing tonight.
• Josh Hamilton hit his third home run of the season. All three have come against the Astros. Oh boy……
• Vernon Wells played third base for the first time in his career last night. I can’t figure that one out, but now he has 3B eligibility for fantasy owners. Maybe they can put him behind the plate for an inning as well. Wells added a two-run home run as well.
• Josh Reddick (wrist) was placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his wrist. Reddick has really struggled at the plate this season, batting just .152 with one homer in 92 at-bats.

BEONDECK is is featured on Buehler’s Day Off on Team 1010 KXPS in Palm Desert, CA

 It was one of the scariest moments and sickest sounds you will ever hear. In the second inning of Tuesday’s game, Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ took a line drive off the left side of his head on a ball hit by Tampa Bay’s Desmond Jennings, and the sound — an ugly crunch could be heard inside Tropicana Field. The ball went all the way into the bullpen in foul territory halfway down the right-field line and Happ laid motionless for several minutes.It has been reported that Happ is in stable condition and feeling better this morning, but Major League Baseball (MLB) must move quicker in implementing protective head gear for pitchers. The National Football League has made great strides in player safety in the past few years and now it is time for baseball to do the same. MLB HAS NO EXCUSE TO WAIT! MLB and the players’ union have all the resources necessary to implement protective headgear for pitchers. It needs to be a higher priority by everyone involved.

MLB News & Notes

• J.J. Putz left the ninth inning against the Dodgers are a walk to one batter due to elbow stiffness. Since David Hernandez had already pitched in the eighth inning, Heath Bell came on to earn the save. It’s not known yet how long Putz will out.
• Troy Tulowitzki (leg) was not in the Rockies’ starting lineup on Tuesday night against the Yankees, but says he is not worried about the injury. Tulo was diagnosed with inflammation near his groin muscle following an MRI on Monday. He hopes to return to the lineup today.
• Joel Hanrahan (forearm) was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a hamstring stain. It is unknown how long before Hanrahan will begin throwing again. Allen Webster was recalled from Triple-A to take Hanrahan’s roster spot.
  
• C.J. Wilson took his first loss of the season Tuesday night in Houston. Wilson gave up seven runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks. Wilson racked up a season-high 12 strikeouts, as the Angels were defeated by the Astros.
• Paul Goldschmidt continues to tee off on Dodgers pitching. On Tuesday night, Goldy came up in the ninth inning a the score tied 3-3. During a great 11-pitch battle against Brandon League, Goldschmidt homered  to help the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 5-3.
• Rafael Betancourt earned his ninth save this season in a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees. Betancourt was able to work around a hit and struck out two in the night inning. There are very few closers that have a firm grip on the job, but Betancourt does right now with the Rockies.
• Mark Trumbo belted another home run in another Angels lose to the Astros on Tuesday night. It was Trumbo’s 9th this year and he continues to be the only Angel that is producing with any consistency.
• Brandon McCarthy threw his first quality start of the season in Los Angeles on Tuesday. McCarthy allowed three runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings as the Diamondbacks defeated the Dodgers 5-3. McCarthy was not around long enough to earn the win, but it is encouraging to see him turning things around after a disastrous start to the 2013 campaign.
• Jayson Werth (hamstring) is improving but was not in the Nationals lineup on Tuesday, but it looks like he could return Wednesday.