Arizona: The D-backs will have the youngest rotation in the major leagues in the five games that started Monday, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. LHP Tyler Skaggs (21), LHP Wade Miley (25), LHP Patrick Corbin (23), RHP Ian Kennedy (27) and RHP Trevor Cahill (24) average 24 years of age. Houston’s starters average 25 years, Baltimore’s average 25.8 and Washington’s average 26. “I feel like grandpa now.” D-backs C Miguel Montero said. … RHP Josh Collmenter (ulcer) is scheduled to start for the D-backs’ Arizona League team tonight in what could be the final tuneup before he rejoins the parent club.
Atlanta: 3B Chipper Jones (sore left side) was back in the lineup after missing two starts, and 2B Dan Uggla also started again after sitting out Sunday’s game. Uggla, stuck in a seasonlong slump, was 2-for-19 in the first five games of the road trip and 0-for-10 in his career against Giants starter Tim Lincecum, and manager Fredi Gonzalez said he might begin to pay more attention to pitching matchups when deciding when Uggla will play. … Jones got a standing ovation from Giants fans when he pinch hit Sunday. Jones said of his first major league at-bat, “Seems like it was yesterday.”
Chicago: C Anthony Recker was obtained from Oakland for C/1B Blake Lalli, who was at Class AAA (Des Moines) Iowa. Recker was optioned to Iowa. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated LH reliever Scott Maine for assignment. “Another catcher that’s got some raw power and that can receive, throws really well,” manager Dale Sveum said. … The Cubs have used 48 players this season, three shy of the team record, set in 2000. They also have used 16 rookies, 10 of whom made their major league debuts.
Cincinnati: RHP Homer Bailey has a 5.70 home ERA and 2.91 road ERA after his loss Sunday in Cincinnati, in which he was burned by four straight groundball hits. “I was trying to get them to hit groundballs and get some double plays and keep the ball in the yard. It wasn’t like I was all over the place,” he said. … The Reds are in a span of 17 games in 16 days, which followed a run of 17 games in 17 days. “This is a tough stretch for us. We knew it’d be tough,” manager Dusty Baker said. They finally get a day off Thursday.
Colorado: RHP Tyler Chatwood, scheduled to make his sixth start tonight, is coming off two short starts and is looking to give the Rockies five innings for the first time since he pitched a season-high six innings Aug. 14. He worked three scoreless innings Thursday at New York but was lifted after throwing 65 pitches. … LF Carlos Gonzalez had only one extra-base hit since Aug. 4 through Sunday and was hitting .221 this month. He has felt the absence of No. 4 hitter Troy Tulowitzki, who last played for the Rockies on May 30.
Houston: OF Jimmy Paredes was called up from Class AAA Oklahoma City to play right field regularly the rest of the season. Paredes, who played third base last year and second base for most of this year, was moved to the outfield on July 31. He hit .318 in the minors. … OF Brian Bogusevic appears to be the player in line to lose the most time with Paredes coming up. Bogusevic started 78 games this season but is hitting .209 in 320 at-bats.
Los Angeles: IF Nick Punto reached base in his first four plate appearances as a Dodger, the longest such streak since Mike Piazza reached base in his first five plate appearances as a Dodger in 1992. … RH reliever Josh Wall was recalled from Class AAA Albuquerque for his second stint with the club, and RH reliever Shawn Tolleson was optioned to high-A Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.). Wall has a 1.98 ERA and .188 opponents’ batting average in Class AAA since the All-Star break.
Miami: RHP Ricky Nolasco is 1-6 with a 6.70 ERA in eight starts since the All-Star break going into his outing tonight against the Nationals. He has lost both starts this year against Washington. … RF Giancarlo Stanton hit eight home runs on the team’s 11-game road trip that ended Sunday. He was second in the National League with 29 home runs, but has only 12 in 50 games at spacious Marlins Park and 17 in 49 games on the road.
Milwaukee: 3B Aramis Ramirez went into Monday with 42 doubles, tops in the NL, and was on pace to break the Brewers’ record of 53, set in 2004 by Lyle Overbay. Ramirez also led NL third baseman with a .974 fielding percentage and only six errors. … When the Brewers took two of three in Pittsburgh over the weekend, it was their first road series win in the second half. “It’s nice to win a series on the road against a really good team. I like the way we’re playing ball,” manager Ron Roenicke said.
New York: 1B Ike Davis, mired in a massive slump throughout the first two months of the season, has posted a .929 OPS since June 9, 19th in baseball. His 19 home runs were tied for sixth through Sunday and led all NL first basemen over that stretch. … OF/1B Lucas Duda will almost exclusively play left field and first base in his second tour of duty with the Mets. Manager Terry Collins said he believes some of Duda’s struggles on offense this season were because he never grew comfortable in right field.
Philadelphia: SS Jimmy Rollins hit his team-leading 15th home run Sunday. After hitting one home run in his first 48 games of the season, Rollins has 14 homers in his last 77 games. … OF Nate Schierholtz (fractured right big toe) went hitless in four at-bats at Class AAA Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Pa.) in a rehab game on Sunday. Schierholtz is expected to rejoin the Phillies this weekend when rosters expand.
Pittsburgh: 2B Neil Walker was a late scratch because of stiffness in his lower back, and LF Jose Tabata returned to the lineup after being limited to pinch-hitting duty Sunday because of a strained left groin. … RHP Jeff Karstens (right groin) was feeling better following a pregame workout, and it now appears he will be able to make his next start Friday. Karstens was forced to leave Saturday’s game in the eighth inning after shutting out Milwaukee for seven innings.
St. Louis: 1B Lance Berkman, rehabbing his ailing right knee at Class AAA Memphis, probably will join the Cardinals this weekend in Washington when rosters can be expanded. Manager Mike Matheny said that Berkman, who has been at Memphis since Friday, told Matheny that he was a little “creaky.” … 3B David Freese (left wrist) remained out of the lineup for the third straight start. Neither an X-ray nor a CAT scan revealed anything major, but Matheny said he wanted Freese to go through one more pregame workout and see how it feels today.
San Diego: RHP Casey Kelly was called up from Class AAA Tucson to make his major league debut, RH closer Dale Thayer was activated from the paternity leave list, RH reliever Brad Boxberger and LH reliever Josh Spence were sent down to Tucson and C Nick Hundley was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. … RHP Edinson Volquez is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his last two starts after going 1-2 in his four previous starts with a 13.83 ERA.
San Francisco: RHP Matt Cain face the Astros tonight for the first time since he threw a perfect game against them June 13. Since then, Cain is 5-3 with a 3.62 ERA. In his career against Houston, he’s 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA. … RF Hunter Pence had three hits Sunday after he entered the game hitting .191 in 94 at-bats as a Giant. Only one of the hits was solid — he also had an infield hit and broken-bat single.
Washington: RHP Stephen Strasburg has pitched 145 1/3 innings this season going into his start tonight. If Nationals do shut him down and Strasburg averages six innings per start the rest of the season, he could make six more starts and his final game would be Sept. 24. … 3B Ryan Zimmerman has not hit a home run since Aug. 10 and has only three extra-base hits, all doubles, in the last 14 games.