Instead of simply extending the usual tradition of providing entertainment via a ballgame that precedes a fireworks display, the Braves will spend a portion of this year’s 4th of July weekend feeling a unique sense of patriotism while bringing Major League Baseball to the United States’ most populated military base.

At some point this week, Jhonny Peralta will receive a second opinion on his injured left thumb and the Cardinals will learn just how deep into the season they’ll likely be before the veteran shortstop returns.

It’ll always be his baby. They’ll linger on.

Introducing the still-developing cutter that he toyed with this winter and has been modifying during bullpen sessions this spring, Michael Wacha made his spring debut on Tuesday with a flash of the efficiency that he hopes the new pitch can bring.

Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer was scheduled to pitch three innings on Tuesday afternoon, but he ended up throwing only two in a 4-2 victory over the Astros at Osceola County Stadium, as the ace was tested by Houston in the first.

“Baseball is a sport of inclusion,” D-backs managing general partner Ken Kendrick said Tuesday. Kendrick’s words set the tone and were the perfect opening for the 2016 Major League Baseball Diversity Business Summit, a two-day trade expo that got under way at Chase Field.

This was Spring Training as the postcards depict it: a sunny day at Disney World, a tidy crowd of 6,000 strong lazing away the afternoon. Matt Harvey was on the mound for the first three innings of a 5-4 Mets loss to the Braves, but for most in attendance, it hardly seemed to matter. They were happy just to watch a ballgame.

The Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues are in full swing, and there’s no better time to pick up the newest gear to rep your favorite team.

Astros owner Jim Crane said Tuesday he extended the contract of manager A.J. Hinch following last year’s World Series, rewarding him for leading the team to its first postseason appearance in 10 years.

Five days shy of the one-year anniversary of when he felt that first alarming twinge in his right elbow last spring, Christian Vazquez made his return to the Red Sox on Tuesday afternoon.

He threw all his pitches, his mechanics looked solid and he reported no issues with his right knee. All in all, it was a very good day on the mound for Yankees veteran left-hander CC Sabathia.

Astros pitcher Doug Fister doesn’t waste much time between pitches. He gets the ball and goes at a rapid pace, keeping his infielders on their toes and opposing batters on alert. For a ground-ball pitcher like Fister, defense and positioning are key.

MLB.com fantasy guru Fred Zinkie fielded questions from fans during a live Twitter chat at @Fantasy411 on Tuesday.

Prince Fielder was the American League’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2015, and he’s looking to build on that. So he arrived at the Rangers’ spring complex in Surprise with a new training technique that brought to mind another comeback kid: Rocky Balboa.

Bee Attack 2: Electric Boogaloo.

When Mike Piazza visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum on Aug. 2, 1993, half a lifetime ago, things were a little different.

Giancarlo Stanton arrived early to Marlins camp on Tuesday, and he took part in a series of drills to test his sore right knee. The three-time All-Star right fielder did some light running, hit in the cages and threw. However, Stanton wasn’t in the lineup for the Marlins’ 1-0 win over the Yankees at Roger Dean Stadium, and he remains listed as day to day.