As the Braves prepared for a four-game series against the Cardinals on Thursday night, their thoughts were with Jason Heyward, who earlier in the day underwent surgery to repair the fractured jaw he suffered when he was hit by a Jon Niese fastball during Wednesday’s win over the Mets.

The first thing anyone thinks of when the see D-backs manager Kirk Gibson, even 25 years later, is ‘The Swing’ and ‘The Limp’ that gave the Dodgers a walk-off win in the 1988 World Series, forever giving the then-hobbled slugger a place in baseball history.

Cardinals top prospect Oscar Taveras underwent season-ending ankle surgery on Wednesday, during which a doctor cleaned up cartilage and repaired ligament damage.

A delegation from the National Youth Baseball Championships visited St. Jude Thursday for the purpose of visiting the children and spreading cheer throughout the hospital, and the patients returned the joy and inspiration in an indescribable fashion.

The Twins plated six runs against Justin Verlander, highlighted by Ryan Doumit’s three-run homer in the fifth, and Chris Herrmann’s eight-inning RBI double put Minnesota back on top after losing a four-run lead in Thursday’s 7-6 win in Detroit.

Orioles closer Jim Johnson has allowed runs in four of his past five appearances, and based on what manager Buck Showalter said, he still looks like the favorite to get the ball in the team’s next save spot. But it isn’t automatic.

Mat Latos went eight strong innings and the Reds benefited from four wild pitches to down the D-backs, 2-1, on Thursday at Great American Ball Park.

Clayton Kershaw wasn’t quite right Thursday, which for him means that he still pitched eight scoreless innings as the Dodgers blanked the Marlins, 6-0, in the series finale in Miami.

Former Indians third baseman Al Rosen, who won the MVP Award in 1953 and the Executive of the Year Award in ’87, is the subject of a new documentary about his success both on the field and in the front office.

After struggling through a couple rough years in the Minors and resultant confidence issues, Drake Britton is thriving with a fearless attitude.

Released recently by the Phillies, Delmon Young has signed a Minor League deal with the Rays and will report to Double-A Montgomery, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and MLB Network.

Teams can go decades without finding a kid like Paul Goldschmidt. The D-backs slugger was plucked out of the eighth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. Now, four years later, he is a legit National League Most Valuable Player candidate.

A CAT scan and X-rays taken Wednesday night showed no facial fractures for Astros catcher Max Stassi, who was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to the Rangers. The ball deflected off his shoulder and hit him in the mouth.

With several of their starting pitchers undergoing season-ending surgeries or brushing up against innings limits, the Mets on Thursday made a low-risk move to deepen their staff, signing former Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka.

On Saturday, as the White Sox host the Rangers for the second of a three-game set, the real focus will be on honoring those who fought for equality in the United States. MLB’s Civil Rights Game will include a panel discussion on Friday, a luncheon on the day of the game and an on-field ceremony.

Plowing forward without injured players is something the Reds have had to do all season. For the second time in 2013, they will be trying to overcome the loss of right-handed setup man Jonathan Broxton.

This is the time of year when students are heading off to school just as the pennant races are heating up. MLB Advanced Media has made the transition easier with Thursday’s announcement of a limited-time $19.99 offer for a yearly subscription to MLB.TV Premium.