The significant progress Derek Holland and Matt Harrison have made the past two years has been an integral part of the Rangers' pitching success, and their continued development remains crucial to both the immediate and long-term future. The Rangers may try to upgrade their starting pitching before the Trade Deadline, but Harrison and Holland remain at the heart of the rotation now and for the next several seasons to come.

According to multiple sources, pitcher Roberto Hernandez is expected to soon be receiving a new visa from the State Department, which would allow the right-hander to return to the United States. Hernandez remains in his native Dominican Republic, where he continues to train at Cleveland's baseball academy.

It's a unique sporting event, a game that celebrates history and the progressive movement of all people toward equal rights. Major League Baseball, which will stage the sixth annual Civil Rights Game in Atlanta on Aug. 18, released the schedule and highlights of its surrounding events on Thursday.

As expected, the Nationals activated reliever Drew Storen from the disabled list before the club's finale on Thursday afternoon against the Mets. What was more unexpected came with the accompanying move, which was to designate reserve outfielder Rick Ankiel for assignment.

There are Hall of Famers, and then there are Hall of Famers. The distinctions are evident and incontestable … or they're unclear and subject to persistent debate. Take your pick of candidates and/or adjectives, sit back and deliberate. The discussion can fill an hour, a summer or the better part of a lifetime.

A sore right knee kept Chipper Jones out of the Braves' starting lineup on Thursday for a second time in as many days. Martin Prado replaced Jones, making his 17th start of the season at third base.

Halfway and then some into the 2012 season, several star players are serving notice they're all the way back to their normal high form after a year or more off track.

Despite PNC Park being known as a pitcher's ballpark, Andrew McCutchen is leading the National League in batting average and is second in home runs. His performance has helped the Pirates to the Major League's best home record.

Brandon Crawford's three-run, 11th-inning home run, the last in a sequence of stunning events, lifted the Giants to a 9-4 victory Wednesday night over the Atlanta Braves.

Billy Butler led off the ninth with a home run — his 18th this season — to give the Royals an 8-7 walk-off victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday to snap Kansas City's three-game skid.

Each day, MLB.com selects one player from each game whose performance stands out.

Cody Ross homered twice and drove in six runs while Adrian Gonzalez homered and drove in four in a Red Sox pounding of the White Sox on Wednesday night.

Wednesday was all about Carl Crawford. The rejuvenated Red Sox outfielder, fresh off the disabled list, is freshly on the non-waiver Trade Deadline radar.

Matt Kemp challenged the Dodgers to wake up, and he made his point with his legs and finally with his booming bat, lifting his team to a desperately needed 5-3 decision over the Phillies at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.

Not only has Matt Kemp returned to action, but he also is returning with a suave style, as something of an action figure himself. Meet Agent 0027.

Long after a duel between Clayton Kershaw and Cliff Lee, Matt Kemp delivered a two-run, walk-off homer in the 12th inning to give the Dodgers a 5-3 win over the Phillies in Wednesday's series finale.

James McDonald allowed five runs in the first two innings to put the Bucs in an early hole, but Garrett Jones' three-run homer in the third ignited a comeback, as the Pirates went on to slug four homers on the day and clinch the series with the Rockies with a 9-6 victory on Wednesday.