With Jason Heyward undergoing a smooth appendectomy Monday night, the Braves on Tuesday placed him on the 15-day disabled list and called up shortstop Tyler Pastornicky from Triple-A Gwinnett.

On a snow-induced off-day Monday, Braves right fielder Jason Heyward went into Rose Medical Center in Denver and onto the disabled list following a successful appendectomy.

Strikeouts are for good causes. That’s the bottom line to a pair of promotions keyed around strikeouts for pitchers in general and, with him scheduled to start Tuesday night, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw specifically.

Carlos Quentin will return to the Padres’ lineup on Tuesday after serving an eight-game suspension for his role in a benches-clearing incident against the Dodgers on April 11. San Diego faces the Brewers in the second game of a three-game series at Petco Park.

Twins left fielder Josh Willingham can relate to the Marlins’ tough start with a young team. Willingham, a steady run producer for Minnesota, was a rookie on the Marlins’ 2006 team, which had more than 20 rookies play over the course of the season.

From his condo in downtown Boston, Shane Victorino can head one way toward Copley Square or another for a stroll down the Freedom Trail. It’s not Hawaii, but to Victorino and those who live there, it’s a paradise in its own right.

Though keeping score is increasingly a lost art, devotees still swear by it as the ultimate way to watch and absorb a baseball game.

Early this season, there are a handful of players who found their way to The Show via the roads not often taken, and all of them are looking quite valuable to their clubs at the moment.

Before he was Evan Gattis, power-hitting catcher for the Atlanta Braves, he was “Evan From Heaven,” a sweet, modest young man with a sincere passion for spiritual exploration.

It didn’t take long for the Brewers to seize control of what would soon become a 7-1 win on Monday night, but they may be more concerned with the health of starter Kyle Lohse, who was injured in the process.

Brandon Belt, benched against left-handed starters, drilled a tiebreaking single off left-handed reliever Tony Sipp in Monday night’s ninth inning to lift the Giants to a 5-4 triumph over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

A three-run bottom of the 13th inning, capped by Cesar Izturis’ RBI single, gave the Reds a 5-4 comeback victory over the Cubs on Monday night.

For Felix Hernandez, the fourth time was the charm Monday as the Mariners ace finally won his 100th career game with six scoreless innings in Seattle’s 7-1 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Mike Napoli banged a grand slam over the Green Monster on Monday night to lead Boston to a 9-6 romp over the Athletics.

The Cardinals’ series opener against the Nationals was hardly dripping with the drama that encompassed the last meeting between these two clubs in the 2012 National League Division Series. But just as they did the last time they took the field at Nationals Park, the Cards escaped with a victory.

By swapping Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez in the batting order on Sunday, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly apparently gave a strong clue as to how he will try to awaken his struggling offense.

The Orioles recalled right-hander Alex Burnett from Triple-A Norfolk on Monday and optioned righty Jake Arrieta to Triple-A.