Justin Verlander’s rehab start for Triple-A Toledo on Saturday will likely be his last before joining the Tigers’ rotation next week.

Since Mike Trout took the baseball world by storm as a rookie in 2012, he’s been drawing comparisons to another famous center fielder with plenty of power and speed: Mickey Mantle.

Giants right fielder Hunter Pence, who loathes being unable to play, was expected to miss his second game in a row Friday with an injured left wrist. His playing status is day to day.

For the third straight mock draft, MLBPipeline projects that the D-backs will take Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson with the No. 1 overall pick.

The question of the day is whether Padres outfielder Justin Upton or Dodgers rookie wonder Joc Pederson is more qualified to start for the National League in the 2015 Major League All-Star Game on July 14 in Cincinnati. As good as Upton has been, Pederson’s performance is simply impossible to overlook, giving him the edge.

The Mets scored three runs in the sixth inning to erase an early deficit and give Matt Harvey all the support he would need to beat the D-backs, 6-2, on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Chase Field.

Former Mariners scouting director and VP Roger Jongewaard’s insistence on Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez rank as the most astute decisions in the history of the Draft. (His knack for inspired No. 1 overall choices extended beyond the Mariners, as he was the Mets area scout responsible for signing Darryl Strawberry in 1980.) Here are some other inspired choices that paid huge dividends:

The Nationals’ bats have hit a cold spell. Right-hander Jake Arrieta was dominant as the Cubs edged the Nationals, 2-1, at Nationals Park on Thursday night.

Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar left Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Cubs after one inning because of a right wrist injury.

Carlos Rodon struck out a career-high 10, and Yovani Gallardo matched him pretty much pitch for pitch over six, but neither figured in the Rangers’ 2-1 victory over the White Sox in 11 innings on Thursday. Shin-Soo Choo singled home the winning run, plating Leonys Martin.

Jake Arrieta took advantage of an early lead and a cold Nationals offense Thursday night, tossing six impressive innings in Chicago’s 2-1 win.

Jhonny Peralta reached base four times and Michael Wacha pitched seven innings as the Cardinals beat the Dodgers, 7-1, on Thursday at Dodger Stadium.

Trevor Bauer went 6 2/3 innings, giving up just two runs, and Royals nemesis Brandon Moss belted a two-run homer as the Indians rolled to a rain-shortened 6-2 win on Thursday night in the rubber game at Kauffman Stadium.

Erasmo Ramirez picked up the victory against his former Mariners teammates as the Rays held on for a 2-1 victory in Thursday’s series opener at Safeco Field.

If an award was given to the player most likely to send a Royals pitch over the fences, Indians right fielder Brandon Moss would be a popular candidate.

After missing more than two months of action because of a left MCL sprain and oblique strain, Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon was activated from the disabled list on Thursday, and had two hits in his season debut.

Right-hander Trevor Bauer still needs some work on his control, but for the third time in his last four starts, he got the job done for the Indians.