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The Yankees will call up Gleyber Torres from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barres, according to reports. The club has not confirmed.

Torres is the club's No. 1 prospect and the ranked the No. 5 overall, according to MLB Pipeline.

ATLANTA -- The Mets allowed Matt Harvey to state his case, but in the end, there was no changing their minds. Nothing Harvey could say would sway the Mets from demoting him from the rotation to the bullpen, a move the team announced before Saturday's game against the Braves.

Mets officials colored it as a way for Harvey to work on his craft until they need him to start games again in the future. Just as Harvey could say nothing to influence the team, however, no words or platitudes could soothe his emotion.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, obviously I'm at a 10 with being pissed off," Harvey said, clarifying that he's angry both at the Mets and at himself. "My performance hasn't been there, and I just have to do whatever I have to do to get back in the starting rotation. Right now, that's go to the bullpen and work on some things, get things back to where I need to be."

Exclusively a starting pitcher throughout his professional career, Harvey's rotation status came into question when, after the right-hander allowed six runs in six innings on Thursday in Atlanta, Callaway declined to guarantee him another start. With Jason Vargas set to come off the disabled list next Saturday in San Diego, the Mets needed to shift someone out of the rotation. Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz, Callaway indicated, have both pitched well enough to stay.

Video: NYM@ATL: Harvey gets Inciarte looking

That left Harvey, whom the Mets could either demote to the bullpen or to the Minors -- the latter of which he could contractually refuse. Rather than broach that option, the Mets decided to move him to the bullpen, hoping he can grow from the experience.

"I want to make it clear: This is less about making Matt a reliever and more about getting him back to being a productive starter," assistant general manager John Ricco said. "Honestly, one of the reasons we brought in Mickey and [pitching coach] Dave Eiland were for their knowledge and expertise in this area. We have a lot of faith and confidence in what they're able to do."

The Mets' twin pitching gurus are no strangers to bullpen conversions; Callaway was involved in similar decisions with Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar in Cleveland, while Eiland's resume includes Danny Duffy and Wade Davis in Kansas City. All but Davis, who went on to become one of the Majors' best closers, returned to their respective rotations in short order.

Harvey will be available for the first time on Tuesday in St. Louis, and at least initially, the team will try to give him advance warning of his relief assignments. In the bullpen, the Mets hope, Harvey's history of control -- even with his struggles this year, he holds a 17-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio -- will help him succeed. They anticipate his average fastball and slider velocities will increase from what are currently career-low levels.

Tweet from @AnthonyDiComo: Matt Harvey's fastball and slider velocities are both down more than a full mph from last year. His fastball is also more than 4 mph slower than its 2013 peak. #Mets pic.twitter.com/cyQe8xI9yu

But multiple Mets officials painted Harvey's struggles -- he is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in four starts, and 5-9 with a 6.57 ERA since last season -- as more mental than physical. Harvey said on Friday that he is suffering no ill effects from his 2016 surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome, nor from the resulting shoulder weakness that afflicted him last summer.

"We know he's healthy," Ricco said. "He's feeling good. Then you get to, is this a little bit of a mental thing, a confidence thing? One of the things we talk about is getting him into the 'pen, where he can have success in short spurts, get that confidence back and really let it go and get back to being a guy who can dominate the way he's shown in the past."

Added Harvey: "I know when things click that I can be one of the best in baseball, and that's as a starting pitcher. Obviously, I didn't show that. I have to do everything I can to get back to where I want to be and be as dominant as I have been."

When Callaway and Eiland informed Harvey of their decision, he argued that point, reiterating that something clicked for him in retiring 11 of the final 12 batters he faced on Thursday. The Mets don't doubt that. Nor are they concerned that their decision left him, in Callaway's words, "pissed off right now, and motivated to show everybody that he can be a starter."

"It's a big decision," Callaway said. "Matt Harvey has pitched in meaningful games for the Mets in his career, and he's done some special things. I knew it wasn't going to be the most comfortable conversation. It's a tough message, but it sounds like he's going to embrace it, and go out there and get the job done."

CHICAGO -- The focus of the White Sox clubhouse Saturday centered on reliever Danny Farquhar and really nothing more, with tests revealing he suffered a brain hemorrhage during the sixth inning of Friday night's 10-0 loss to the Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Farquhar collapsed in the White Sox dugout after facing four batters, and the additional overnight testing at RUSH University Medical Center revealed that a ruptured aneurysm caused the brain bleed, according to the White Sox. Farquhar is currently stable but in critical condition in the neurosurgical ICU unit at RUSH and continues to receive treatment and close monitoring by Dr. Demetrius Lopes and the neurosurgical team.

There was no discussion among the White Sox about not playing Saturday night against the Astros because of what had happened to their friend. There was plenty of conversation about thoughts and prayers for the 31-year-old Farquhar, his wife, Lexi, and their three children, Madison, Landon and Liam.

"It crushes us in this clubhouse, and nothing really matters baseball-wise when something like that happens," White Sox starter James Shields said. "When you see one of your brothers go down like that, it's not very fun to watch. He's such a resilient human being and we're praying for him. We hope everything goes well."

Tweet from @whitesox: Statement on Danny Farquhar. White Sox fans, please keep Danny and his family in your positive thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/4DdwnXbVXd

"He's alive, he's got a chance and that's what I'm hanging on to," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "And prayers are more necessary than talk."

Additional updates will be provided by the White Sox on Farquhar's health over the coming days as appropriate. But the club also asks that the privacy of the Farquhar family be respected at this time. Social media messages of hope from around baseball quickly came in for Farquhar, including from Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and his former teams from Tampa Bay and Seattle.

Tweet from @ARizzo44: Prayers for @whitesox Danny Farquhar. Another reminder how precious life is. Stay strong and keep fighting. My thoughts are with his family.

Houston shortstop Carlos Correa and manager AJ Hinch also talked about the tragedy hitting Farquhar during the course of Friday's game.

"It really is sad. I saw something going on when I was at shortstop in the dugout, but I didn't know what it was," Correa said. "I came here to watch my video and they told me that something happened to him. I asked the clubbies here what happened to him, and they didn't know at the time. Now that I know about the aneurysm and stuff, it's really sad. I'm wishing him the best, praying for him. Hopefully he gets better soon."

"I texted back and forth with [White Sox manager Rick Renteria], and it was a scary incident last night," Hinch said. "We could see across the way something was going on, and I think some of our guys saw him vomit, and then as the group went around him, it just became a scary scene. Then word trickles back, and then this morning getting that update is very scary. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and him, the White Sox, the team."

Right-handed reliever Gregory Infante replaced Farquhar on the active roster, with Farquhar being placed on the 10-day disabled list. Renteria met with the White Sox early on Saturday, and the team will try to move on while always carrying thoughts of hope for Farquhar, who received immediate treatment from the White Sox medical staff and EMTs on Friday.

Video: HOU@CWS: Renteria on Farquhar fainting in the dugout

"We've got a good group of guys here and we're going to stick together," Shields said. "He's definitely stable from what we hear, but he's got a long way to go and he's fighting. One thing we know in this clubhouse is that Farqy, he's a fighter."

"Pray for him, pray for his family, pray for his kids," White Sox reliever Hector Santiago said. "We're in here worrying about him, but you can only do so much from our side of it, so just pray for the family and him and hope for the best."

"You don't lose sight of the reality of the circumstance and the situation he's in," said Renteria, who makes his offseason home in Temecula, Calif., as does Farquhar. "But these men know they can go out there and show him that they are thinking about him by the way they go about doing their business today."

NEW YORK -- Brick by brick, Aaron Judge is continuing to add to an impressive list of career accomplishments.

Issued the green light on a 3-0 count on Saturday afternoon, Judge crushed a two-run homer off of Marcus Stroman, producing the first two runs of the Yankees' 9-1 victory over the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. He scored on a catching error in New York's seven-run sixth inning, then capped the frame with an RBI single.

"It's just about little by little, getting better every single day," Judge said. "You're not going to try to make big strides every single day. It's like laying a brick down when you're building a house. You lay one brick down at a time and just try to be consistent, and try to do that every day."

Judge joked that he sometimes does not look down the third-base line to see if the take sign has been issued, though in this case, manager Aaron Boone had him swinging away.

Video: TOR@NYY: Judge extends rally with RBI single to left

Given carte blanche to hack, Judge teed off on Stroman's 92.6-mph fastball, connecting for his sixth homer of the year and his fourth career shot off Stroman. It came off of Judge's bat at 116.1 mph, making it the ninth-hardest-hit homer of his career.

Projected by Statcast™ to have traveled 443 feet to left field, the homer was the first of Judge's career on a 3-0 count, the only count he had not yet homered on. He had been 1-for-3 with an RBI in those situations.

"I always want to hit 3-0, especially against a guy like Stroman," Judge said. "You're not going to get too many good pitches to hit, and he's going to command his pitches well in the zone. He's got some nasty stuff, some of the best stuff in the league. On 3-0, if he's going to give me one that's somewhat over the plate, I've got to take a chance at it."

After three weeks of watching Judge from the Yankees dugout, Boone said that Judge is a better player than he had imagined.

Video: TOR@NYY: Judge safe at home on Maile's missed catch

"I knew 52 home runs, Rookie of the Year, a guy that gets on more than 40 percent of the time," Boone said. "I understand he's an elite-level hitter when you look at those numbers, but I'm so impressed with how well he knows himself and how he develops a game plan going into the game.

"I think he's very in tune with the mechanics of his swing, which I'm sure is more of a challenge for a guy that size. He's clearly, to me, one of the best players in the league."

The shot also marked Judge's 62nd career home run in 201 games played, keeping ahead of Mark McGwire's 1986-88 pace for the fastest to reach the number. Judge was also the fastest to 60 and 61 home runs. McGwire hit his 62nd homer in his 205th career game.

"I was just excited to get two runs on the board against a tough pitcher like Stroman," Judge said. "A guy like that, you can't take any pitches off. He could go eight no-hit [innings] every single time he pitches. You've got to stay ready even if it's 0-0, 1-0, 3-0. You've just got to be ready to attack and don't miss the pitch. He might give you one to hit, and you just can't miss it."

NEW YORK -- Earth Day is Sunday, but about 20 employees from Major League Baseball received an early start on Saturday. MLB partnered with its official charity, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, to enhance the Variety Boys & Girls Club in Astoria, N.Y.

The volunteers worked on revitalizing the club, which included planting flowers and food such as spinach and kiwi. They also enhanced the club's media room by painting objects on the wall in the basement. Scotts Miracle-Gro, the official lawn and garden company of MLB, donated materials to support the landscaping project.

Alexander Brown, the director of the Boys & Girls Club in Astoria, said it was incredible to get MLB employees to volunteer their services to the organization.

"The volunteers are excited to be doing something different and uplifting because it's going to be seen," Brown said. "Once we do our videos and put them on social media, the volunteers will be able to look back and see what they were able to contribute."

It's not surprising to Thomas Brasuell, vice president of community affairs for MLB, to see MLB employees volunteer their services at the Boys & Girls Club.

"We have a number of employees from our central office, our office in Secaucus, [N.J.], the MLB offices downtown," Brasuell said. "Every time we volunteer -- whether it's setting up supplies for hurricane victims, stuffing food packages for people who are in need of food across the world, fixing the [Boys & Girls] club, fixing a park -- our employees always step up and [are] always giving back."

MLB was the first professional sports league to have all of its clubs as members of the Green Sports Alliance, which promotes healthy, sustainable communities in sports. MLB clubs diverted more than 20,000 tons of recycled or composted waste during the 2017 season. Each year, MLB awards the eco-friendliest club with its "Green Glove Award," with the Mariners winning for the first time last year.

MLB clubs also emphasize sustainability efforts through waste diversion, composting and energy-efficient practices throughout the season. Efforts include comprehensive LED field lighting, recycling efforts, on-site gardens, conscious usage of water and electricity and more.

By the end of 2018, 15 clubs, including the Astros, Yankees and Giants, will have installed LED field lighting. In addition to enhancing the fan experience, LED fixtures are more energy-efficient and have a lifespan of 30 years.

In 2017, the Mariners led the league in recycling practices, with 96 percent of waste at Safeco Field being diverted from landfills. Similarly, the Giants divert 93 percent of all waste at AT&T Park.

PHILADELPHIA -- Rhys Hoskins appeared to know when he hit the first offering from Pirates reliever Michael Feliz that it would land deep in foul territory.

The Phillies' left fielder still had a golden opportunity with one out and runners on the corners to make an impact on a wind-swept afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Six pitches later, he did just that, pulling a long three-run home run to give the Phillies a one-run lead.

Hoskins took advantage of the Pirates' bullpen, which sent out Feliz in relief of starter Steven Brault. The homer put the Phillies ahead 3-2 in a duel between Brault and Phillies starter Aaron Nola. For Hoskins, it was a key moment that unfurled courtesy of a replay decision that favored the Phillies moments earlier.

With one out, Brault came inside on Phillies first baseman Carlos Santana. Santana felt he was hit by the pitch, but home-plate umpire Lance Barrett felt otherwise. An official replay ensued, and the call was overturned, with Santana awarded first on a hit by pitch.

After a single by Odubel Herrera, who has now reached base a career high 22 consecutive games, Feliz entered the game and surrendered the go-ahead home run to Hoskins.

ST. LOUIS -- They were the types of lineup alterations more befitting a reeling team. The leadoff hitter dropped to fifth. The No. 3 batter pushed to the top. The slowest runner slotted in second, in the absence of the club's lone five-tool threat.

But the Cardinals aren't reeling. They're rolling, winners of seven of eight and now tied for first place in the National League Central after Saturday's 4-3 win over the Reds at Busch Stadium.

With two of his most important regulars slumping, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny gave his team a new look courtesy of a reshuffle. And its immediate impact was plain to see. Hitting second for the first time in nearly four years, Yadier Molina was lined up to face reliever Jared Hughes in the seventh, against whom he ripped a go-ahead solo home run. Dropped to fifth in the order after a slow start, Dexter Fowler launched a solo shot in the sixth. Hitting sixth -- already his fourth different lineup spot this season -- Paul DeJong's two-run homer opened the scoring in the second.

All of which backed another masterful outing from Carlos Martinez, and sent St. Louis to its 10th consecutive win against the Reds. Martinez blanked Cincinnati for the second time this week, this time over six innings. Martinez extended his scoreless streak to 18, the best active streak in baseball and the second longest in the Majors this season.

But Martinez was denied his third win when the Reds rallied to tie the game in the seventh off Cardinals reliever Tyler Lyons. Instead the victory went to rookie Jordan Hicks, who earned his first career win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings to finish the game.

Hicks wiggled his way out of a jam he created in the ninth, inducing a game-ending double play off the bat of Scooter Gennett after loading the bases with two hit batsmen and a walk.

Are we enjoying watching the Braves and Phillies and Pirates play baseball? All that youth and energy and winning is wildly entertaining. Suddenly, possibilities abound.

That's what happens with teams that aren't quite sure how good they are. As they begin to win, confidence grows, and suddenly these teams are capable of upending postseason races.

Will it last? Who cares? Instead of pondering that one, why not sit back and enjoy the show? Yes, it's a long season. Strengths are revealed, weaknesses exposed and that's the genius of a six-month schedule.

Ten teams considered borderline contenders enter the weekend on an early roll, so let's offer fans reason for optimism.

1. Mets

OK, Mets fans, take a big deep therapeutic breath. Did you expect your guys to play .917 baseball all season? So far, the Mets have checked three important boxes: rotation, bullpen and offense. While Matt Harvey is Topic A, it's the poor defense that should worry fans. Bottom line: The strengths outweigh the weaknesses.

2. D-backs

Regression? What regression? The D-backs will have plenty of offense once third baseman Jake Lamb and outfielder Steven Souza Jr. return from the disabled list. But the reason for optimism is a pitching staff that has been the National League's best this season. The front four of Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Patrick Corbin and Zack Godley was terrific last season and probably is the NL's best in 2018.

3. Angels

They are the real deal. First, they mash. Only the Red Sox have scored more runs. As long as the rotation stays intact, the Angels are going to be in it until the end. The Red Sox beat up on the Angels' starting pitching this week. Not to worry, as long as Shohei Ohtani, Garrett Richards and the others stay healthy and can continue to take the ball, the Angels will contend.

Video: LAA@KC: Trout crushes a two-run homer to left field

4. Blue Jays

Right-hander Aaron Sanchez has had three straight solid starts and continues to offer every indication that he's going to be as dominant as he was two seasons ago when he led the American League with a 3.00 ERA. The Blue Jays have won five of seven while their best player, third baseman Josh Donaldson, is on the DL with a sore shoulder. He probably will return next week.

5. Pirates

The Pirates have enough pitching to stay in contention. Right-handers Trevor Williams and Jameson Taillon have done a nice job anchoring the rotation, and Chad Kuhl is coming off his best start of the season. Meanwhile, two of the organization's top prospects, Mitch Keller and Taylor Hearn, are off to great starts at Double-A.

Video: COL@PIT: Kuhl hold Rockies to one over six innings

6. Twins

Only the Astros, Red Sox and Indians have a lower staff ERA in the American League. Jose Berrios has been the best starter in a rotation that also has Lance Lynn, Jake Odorizzi and Ervin Santana (who is on the DL). Fernando Rodney and Addison Reed have been tremendous additions to a solid bullpen.

7. Braves

The NL's best offense is a good place to start. Only the D-backs and Phillies have lower ERAs among all NL teams. Mike Foltynewicz and Brandon McCarthy have been dominant at the front of the rotation, and the first month of the season has amounted to a coming-out party for shortstop Dansby Swanson. Top prospect Ronald Acuna Jr. could make his Major League debut any time.

Video: NYM@ATL: Albies hammers a Thor fastball for a big fly

8. Phillies

Is there a weakness? First, the Phillies have one of the NL's best rotations, led by right-hander Jake Arrieta, who has been a perfect addition. Offensively, only the Braves and Pirates have scored more runs in the NL, and Rhys Hoskins is playing his way into the NL MVP Award conversation.

9. Cardinals

The Cardinals got things rolling during a 5-1 road trip to Cincinnati and Chicago. Adam Wainwright, who could be the key to the rotation, had his best start of the season Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Once Marcell Ozuna gets hot -- and he will -- the offense will be fine.

Video: STL@CHC: Wainwright tallies 1st win of season

10. Rockies

The Rockies have recovered from a slow start with a nice run by the rotation. Right-handers Chad Bettis and German Marquez are pitching the best baseball of their careers, and the three new relievers -- Wade Davis, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw -- entered Friday having allowed two earned runs in their last 10 2/3 innings.

NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge hit a towering homer and the Yankees sent 12 men to the plate in their biggest inning of the season, supporting Jordan Montgomery's solid outing in a 9-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Judge cracked a two-run blast as part of a three-RBI performance and Miguel Andujar ripped a three-run double that highlighted a seven-run sixth inning, helping the Yankees topple Toronto starter Marcus Stroman en route to their fourth win in six games.

Video: TOR@NYY: Judge crushes 443-ft. HR at 116.1 mph

"It's a lot of fun," Judge said. "That's what it's about, consistent team at-bats. Everyone just kept the line moving. That's the biggest thing, when you've got the kind of lineup that we do. People are taking their walks when they have to and moving runners over. Little things like that help us get those big innings."

Montgomery was the beneficiary of the run support, rolling to his second straight victory after evading early trouble. Montgomery pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the third inning and limited damage to a run in a high-traffic fifth, completing six frames of one-run, four-hit ball. He walked three and struck out five.

Video: TOR@NYY: Andujar plates three on bases-loaded double

"I was just trying to go out there, execute pitches and let my defense play," Montgomery said. "They did an incredible job behind me. … I've just got to trust my stuff and not try and aim as much, just throw it up there for them to hit them. If they don't, they don't."

Judge improved to 7-for-16 (.438) with four homers off Stroman. The homer was the 62nd of Judge's career in his 201st game, keeping him ahead of Mark McGwire's pace as the quickest player to reach that number. McGwire needed 205 games with the 1986-88 Athletics to reach 62 homers.

Video: TOR@NYY: Gregorius hits an RBI single to right field

Steve Pearce's fifth-inning RBI single off Montgomery trimmed the Yankees' lead to a run, but New York erupted in the sixth as the first five batters reached against Stroman. Didi Gregorius ripped a run-scoring single to right field and Judge slid home safely on a dropped throw error by catcher Luke Maile before Andujar laced his big hit toward the bullpen in left-center field.

"I'm feeling pretty good right now," Andujar said through an interpreter. "I've been watching a lot of video. I'm going out there and making sure that I correct whatever I'm doing wrong. If I see something that I'm doing wrong, I'll have a conversation with the coaches and make an adjustment. As of right now, things are working out good."

Video: TOR@NYY: Gardner plates Andujar with a sac fly

Brett Gardner lifted a sacrifice fly and Judge completed the scoring with a run-scoring single to left. Stroman was charged with eight runs (six earned) and five hits over 5 1/3 innings. Toronto has lost all five of Stroman's starts at Yankee Stadium since the beginning of 2016.

"From the side, he looked tough to me all day," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "I think our guys just competed with him. Our at-bats, up and down the order, we didn't give anything away."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
It got overshadowed by the noise of the seven-run outburst, but Montgomery's escapes set the tone of the afternoon. Montgomery was staring at a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third after a walk to Pearce. An eight-pitch battle heavy on breaking balls followed with Teoscar Hernandez, with Montgomery getting the outfielder to wave at an 80.2-mph curve for strike three. Yangervis Solarte then popped up another curve to end the inning.

Video: TOR@NYY: Montgomery allows one run over six innings

Montgomery halted damage in the fifth after Pearce's RBI single, striking out Hernandez on three pitches before getting Solarte to fly out and Kendrys Morales to ground out.

"He's hard to hit," Boone said. "Even when he looks like he's losing his command, he has a knack for making pitches. That changeup, the curveball and when he's mixing in the fastball, I think it's a hard pitch to get a bead on, considering that over-the-top delivery."

SOUND SMART
The Yankees' seven-run sixth inning was their highest-scoring frame since bringing home seven runs in the eighth inning on June 14, 2016, at Colorado. It was their highest-scoring inning at Yankee Stadium since tallying nine in the seventh on Aug. 4, 2015, vs. Boston.

UP NEXT
Luis Severino takes the ball on Sunday as the Yankees and Blue Jays complete their four-game series at 1:05 p.m. ET. Severino defeated the Jays on Opening Day at Rogers Centre, hurling 5 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit and seven strikeouts. Former Yankee Jaime Garcia will start for Toronto.

ST. PETERSBURG -- Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, who went on the 10-day disabled list with migraines during the club's trip to Puerto Rico, took batting practice prior to Saturday night's game against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

"I feel like I'm well enough to go out there and take BP,'' Buxton said. "It's moreso the pounding [that's still there], but the blurriness and the dizziness [have subsided].

"I probably slept 40 hours the last few days. Flying from Puerto Rico to here wasn't very pleasant. It's just unpredictable. Usually, I can tolerate them a little more to not affect me on the field. But this one [was intense] and when I heard the pounding of the music, that's what really kicked it in."

Twins manager Paul Molitor, while granting that he can't predict the severity of migraines, said he was encouraged.

"It's another day moving in the right direction,'' Molitor said. "Sometimes, they come quickly or so I'm told. When the DL was recommended as a likely scenario on the first day, that tells you [about the intensity]."

Hughes ready
Right-hander Phil Hughes, out since Spring Training with a left oblique strain, will get his first Twins start since May 21 on Sunday afternoon against the Rays.

Video: MIN@PIT: Hughes strikes out the side in the 2nd

Hughes, who had each of his past two seasons cut short by treatment for thoracic outlet syndrome, made two rehabilitation starts at Class A Advanced Fort Myers, where he went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA and his velocity hit 94 mph.

"I'm really excited," Hughes said. "I want to get out there and hopefully make it a good one. It has been tough, but I'm trying not to think about what happened in the past. It has been a long road. "I felt really good [in the rehab outings]. I had a full Spring Training, so I got reps there. I know I'll have some nerves, but I'm not sure what impact that will have. I'm definitely anxious, because it has been a while for me being in this kind of competitive environment."

Injury notes
• Right-hander Trevor May (surgery on right ulnar collateral ligament), on the 60-day DL since Feb. 19, threw two days of batting practice and is continuing a long toss program. Molitor said he's not certain when May will be ready for a rehabilitation assignment.

• Right-hander Michael Pineda (surgery on right ulnar collateral ligament) is also doing long toss and will be examined in Minnesota when the Twins return home next weekend.

ST. LOUIS -- Dexter Fowler arrived at Busch Stadium on Saturday to see a bobblehead created in his likeness, and his name in an unfamiliar slot in the order.

In an effort to jump-start the right fielder's slow start to the season, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny dropped his typical leadoff hitter to fifth in the order.

Whether Fowler was ready to break out, or responded to the move, nobody can know. But the optics certainly looked good when Fowler homered in the sixth inning off Homer Bailey, his solo shot extending the Cardinals' lead to 3-0.

"Just trying to get him going," Matheny said pregame of Fowler, who entered play hitting .176.

Fowler struggled in the leadoff spot early last season before Matheny swapped him and Matt Carpenter, who was struggling in the No. 3 hole. Overall, Fowler hit .205/.308/.390 from the leadoff spot in 2017, compared to .271/.361/.447 out of the No. 3 hole.

Matheny's decision to drop Fowler for the first time this season came on an afternoon the club was without its typical No.2 hitter as well, with Tommy Pham missing his second game this week due to groin tightness.

Those two factors sparked a round of sweeping lineup changes. Fowler was sent to fifth, where Jose Martinez had been planted. Martinez rose to third, and Carpenter raised to leadoff. Yadier Molina, whom Matheny routinely references as the team's "best baserunner," was penciled into the No. 2 slot.

"Listen, we've been winning some games. But how can we get our offense going to where it's really clicking?" Matheny said. 'We've gone a number of games here trying to get guys going in the same spot. Sometimes you do something different, whether it's in the work or in the batting order position. Sometimes the psychology of the game is real. The analytics don't like it, but it's real, and we have to pay attention to it."

DENVER -- The Chicago Cubs on Saturday placed infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to April 18) with back tightness and recalled David Bote from Triple-A Iowa.

Bote, who will wear uniform number 13, will join the first Major League roster of his career and be available for the Cubs tonight when they continue their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.