The Mets and Nationals will provide a true marquee matchup that features hard-throwing right-handers Matt Harvey and Max Scherzer, but today’s slate has several other games to keep an eye on.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday he’s encouraged by the feedback regarding changes made to improve the pace of play, and he has encouraged players to offer suggestions.

Reds right-hander Homer Bailey has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery. He is expected to return during the 2016 season.

Mike Cameron recalls his historic night in Chicago 13 years ago, when he became one of 16 players to blast four home runs in one game.

Bryce Harper is one of the game’s brightest young stars, but he could still use a push from the fans. Harper, the Nationals’ precocious right fielder, showed why he’s #ASGWorthy on Thursday night, when he doubled twice and drove in three runs in Washington’s 8-2 victory over the division-rival Mets.

The Yankees, now leading the pack in a bunched-together American League East, will take their storied rivalry with the Red Sox to Boston for the first time this season on Friday.

Anthony DeSclafani is right at home in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization. For starters, the Freehold, N.J., native hails from Colts Neck High School, a mere 20 minutes from the hometown of teammate Todd Frazier. Then there are the college connections. DeSclafani and his new manager, Bryan Price, share an alma mater in the University of Florida.

The Mets followed an 11-game winning streak with a 2-5 skid. The pendulum will swing back to the positive side probably sooner than later but not until their season reaches its 40th game — May 19, if postponements don’t interfere — will we have a more accurate sense of what they are and where they’re heading.

Dustin Pedroia’s reputation precedes him. Opponents young and old know better than to expect much in the way of even remotely friendly in-game interaction with the uber-competitive Red Sox second baseman. But this kid named Devon Travis, who is listed at 5-foot-9, got to second base the other day at Fenway Park, and there was the 5-foot-9 Pedroia, one of Travis’ heroes in a game that’s not always kind to little guys like them.

Every week, the MLBPipeline.com crew will rank the top 10 fantasy baseball prospects in the Minor Leagues. These rankings are based solely on expected 2015 fantasy production in the Major Leagues, in contrast to the MLBPipeline Top 100 Prospects list, which reflects long-term value in all phases of the game.

There have obviously been other notable comebacks after slow starts, just as there have been disheartening collapses after successful starts. But the record will show that roughly half of the time, April gives us a very good idea of who will still be around in October and who will be contemplating major overhauls.

Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos drove in two runs apiece as the Nationals defeated the Mets, 8-2, at Citi Field on Thursday night. Washington has won three straight games to improve its record to 10-13.

Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar is gaining a reputation for making highlight-reel catches, and he added another one to the collection when he robbed Cleveland’s Brandon Moss of an extra-base hit before running into the wall in center.

Jose Altuve singled in Marwin Gonzalez with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday as the surprising Astros beat the Mariners, 3-2, recording their seventh straight win with a walk-off at Minute Maid Park that hiked their American League West-leading record to 15-7.

The Royals’ quest for respect took a giant step forward on Thursday night, when they thumped the Tigers, 8-1, in their first matchup of the season against the four-time defending American League Central champs.

The Minnesota Twins rode a seven-run third inning against Chris Sale to take the series opener in a rout of the White Sox.

A walk-off hit signaled new territory even for reigning American League batting champ Jose Altuve. With a one-out single off the left-field wall in the 10th inning that gave Houston an emotional 3-2 win, Altuve keeps expanding his collection of accomplishments. The walk-off knock was the first of his career.