Nationals manager Davey Johnson knows how to push the right buttons, and Monday was just one more example, as Johnson decided to sit second baseman Danny Espinosa for a day and start Steve Lombardozzi at second base.

Rockies left-hander Jamie Moyer will make his third attempt at becoming the oldest Major League pitcher to win a game when he faces the Padres on Tuesday night at Coors Field.

Giants closer Brian Wilson has a “moderate” sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, an injury that doesn't always require surgery, according to a CSNBayArea.com report Monday. This hasn't stopped Wilson, who's expected to be out for the season, from seeking multiple opinions regarding his injury.

Respect seems to be mutual in the Cardinals-Reds rivalry, and it appears to have replaced much of the venom the two clubs have displayed. Gone is the talk — publicly, at least — about anything resembling disdain or dislike.

Patriots' Day brought an unfamiliar late-morning start at Fenway Park, and clearly the hitters for both sides appeared to still be sleeping once the game began. The Rays prevailed in the end, snapping a four-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over the Red Sox on Monday at Fenway Park.

Twins left fielder Josh Willingham was named on Monday the American League Player of the Week. It was second such award he has received in his career, the other being in 2009 when he was with Washington.

Brewers radio voice Bob Uecker will miss Tuesday's game against the Dodgers to be inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, a high honor shared by fellow baseball legends Vin Scully, Jack Buck, Harry Caray and Mel Allen.

The Giants signed left-handed pitcher Madison Bumgarner on Monday to a five-year extension through 2017 with a club/vesting option for 2018 and a club option for 2019. The deal covers Bumgarner through his arbitration years and his first year of free agency.

Atlanta Braves great and current broadcaster John Smoltz will have his No. 29 retired on-field in a pregame ceremony on June 8, the same day he'll also be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame during a luncheon.

John Masson sat in the partners' box at Fenway Park on Sunday, a day before Patriots' Day. The climate-controlled suite behind him and his own words seemed to belong to a man who could not be luckier.

The Marlins will soon be whole again. After missing the past five games, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen will rejoin his team on Tuesday in the series opener against the Cubs.

The Rangers brought in Joe Nathan to handle the ninth, but history says he won't be the only one in the role.

The Rays' starting pitching has not been up to par thus far this season, which has been cited as a cause for the bullpen's dismal performance.

Manager Joe Maddon recently was asked to compare former Rays outfielder Carl Crawford to current outfielder Desmond Jennings.

David Freese is proving in this early stage of the 2012 season that his career trajectory still points in the right direction: Up.

Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis said Monday that he was “confused” by Bobby Valentine's remarks in a television interview on Sunday in which the manager wondered if Youkilis was as physically and emotionally invested in the game as he was in the past.

The usual suspects are in their reserved spots atop the lists. Yes, Matt Kemp is slugging homers left and right and driving in runs like the one-man wrecking crew he proved to be last season. And of course, Roy Halladay has simply refused to let anyone get on base, and he's been even more stubborn about letting them score.