Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera was held out of the starting lineup on Tuesday after aggravating a bothersome left hip flexor muscle on Monday night.

The first step toward implementing a plan to succeed Michael Wiener occurred Tuesday with the announcement that former Major LeaguerTony Clark has been appointed to that newly-created position of MLBPA Deputy Executive Director.

Ryan Braun’s corner locker at Miller Park was still full of baseball gear and uniforms on Tuesday, but the player remained absent on the first full day of his season-ending suspension, leaving teammates and manager Ron Roenicke to face a barrage of questions to which they had no answers.

Though Clay Buchholz was pleased to have Dr. James Andrews confirm that there is no structural damage to his shoulder, he also learned that he needs to be careful during the rest of his rehab.

Stuart Sternberg, the Rays’ principal owner, took a moment on Tuesday to address Commissioner Bud Selig’s comments last week on the team’s stadium and attendance issues at Tropicana Field.

Matt Kemp wouldn’t say on Tuesday that the 2011 National League MVP Award should be given to him, but did say it should be taken from suspended Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun.

Closer Jason Grilli was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday by the Pirates, with what for the time being is classified as a “right forearm strain.” Grilli departed early afternoon for Pittsburgh, where he will undergo further medical tests to determine the source of the pain that forced his ouster from Monday night’s game.

The news that Brewers star outfielder and 2011 National League Most Valuable Player Ryan Braun had been suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season and that he admitted to violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program brought about intense and varied opinions and reactions from baseball’s players, managers and front office executives.

Dr. Frank Jobe is most well known for pioneering Tommy John surgery, which has saved the elbows and careers of countless pitchers over the years. But as he prepares for his big moment at the Hall of Fame, a long life of success and grace stretches out in front of him.

With nine days to go to the Trade Deadline, this is a fascinating quandary for the Pirates and their lead baseball executive. GM Neal Huntington has the chips to go all-in, but doing so comes with the risk of still falling short while weakening the future. Yet Huntington absolutely cannot afford to be passive and see it all fall apart again.

Rookie classes, like fine wines, need time to age and mature before we can assess precisely how spectacular they are to the taste buds. In the case of 2012, however, the results already are dramatically evident. This class takes its place alongside any vintage we’ve seen.

We’re still more than a week away from August and “BTS Club 40” has already admitted five new members this year, as each fan managed to make at least 40 straight successful selections without a miss on their quest for 57 in MLB’s game for a $5.6 million grand prize.

With the All-Star break having come and gone, a number of division and Wild Card races are bound to start heating up down the stretch. While a number of variables will alter each race on a day-by-day basis, certain teams may already have an edge when it comes to their remaining schedules.

Matt Harvey continued his dazzling rookie campaign on Sunday, allowing just three hits in seven shutout innings while striking out 10 and walking none to help the Mets to a 5-0 win over the Phillies.

The first full week of baseball following the All-Star break — and the last one before the non-waiver Trade Deadline — gives us the opportunity to catch up on the standings, stats and stirrings and once again take stock in where we stand in this championship season of 2013.

Mike Napoli belted a walk-off solo homer to center field with two outs in the bottom of the 11th early Monday morning, lifting the Red Sox to a draining 8-7 victory over the Yankees at Fenway Park.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of his left quadriceps after he underwent an MRI and examination at New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday and will not join the team for its upcoming series against the Rangers in Arlington.