The Tigers acquired prospect Robbie Ray in last fall’s Doug Fister trade with an eye toward their rotation of the future. With Anibal Sanchez on the disabled list, Detroit in need of a spot starter and Ray tearing up batting orders at Triple-A Toledo, the future is coming a little sooner than expected.

A four-run fourth inning provided plenty for Max Scherzer, who tossed six scoreless in a 5-1 Tigers win over the White Sox on Wednesday in Chicago.

With a lift from middle-of-the-order hitters Matt Adams and Allen Craig, the Cardinals salvaged the final game of a three-game series against the Brewers with Wednesday’s 9-3 win, putting a halt to Milwaukee’s growing lead in the National League Central standings.

On a day the Brewers badly needed innings from starter Matt Garza, he was knocked out with nobody out in the fourth due to a bruised right thumb. Head trainer Dan Wright and Brewers manager Ron Roenicke visited the mound after Garza walked the first hitter he faced in the fourth inning and examined Garza’s right hand. After returning to the mound to throw a warmup pitch, Garza walked off the field.

With an epidemic of injuries sweeping through professional baseball, teams are having to adjust their pitching plans with increasing frequency.

Add a hard changeup to the list of what opposing hitters have to worry about when facing Jose Fernandez. In Miami’s 9-0 win over the Braves on Tuesday night, Fernandez estimates he threw close to 30 changeups. But they weren’t your usual circle changeup; they often were buzzing in around 90 mph.

Hitting coach Don Baylor was back at Angel Stadium on Tuesday, joining the team for the first time since suffering a fractured right femur while catching Vladimir Guerrero’s ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day.

Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano said he wasn’t surprised at the reception on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium and just went about his business. The Yankees weren’t surprised either.

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman’s first rehab assignment outing is now set. Chapman will start a game for Class A Dayton tonight and is expected to throw one inning.

The ripple effects of the severe storm system that caused tornadoes in the Midwest and flooding in the Southeast forced early postponement of four Major League games in the Northeast on Wednesday.

Manager Clint Hurdle is putting Ike Davis in the No. 2 spot, a place at which Davis has never started in his career. Hurdle said Davis had the ability to get on base for Andrew McCutchen.

The White Sox won their first replay challenge of the season on Wednesday in a play that involved Gordon Beckham’s line drive to center with one out in the third inning against the Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field.

Robin Ventura had a slight change of heart Wednesday where a Minor League rehab start and Chris Sale are concerned.

Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez tossed eight scoreless innings vs. the Braves on Tuesday, making him just the fourth pitcher in their age-21 season to enter May with at least four victories and an ERA below 1.60.

MLBPipeline’s First-Year Player Draft experts, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, took their first shot at projecting the first 10 picks back in December. Now that the Top Draft Prospects list has been expanded from 50 to 100, they’re back to update their educated guesses.

Jon Niese shrugged away some miserable conditions at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday to deliver seven strong innings, leading the Mets to a 6-1 win over the Phillies that moved them four games above .500 for the first time since July 14, 2012.

Three rain delays on Tuesday night totaled one hour and 45 minutes, but as far as the Reds were concerned, a long wait for a soggy win was better than no win at all. Pinch-hitter Chris Heisey’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning was the difference maker in a 3-2 Reds victory over the Cubs in a water-logged game.