Baseball

Matt Kemp's sluggish start is suddenly the least of the Los Angeles Dodgers' concerns.

If your stat line reads four home runs in four games to start the season, that’s good, right? Well, it doesn’t if that stat line is pitcher John Axford’s stats after his first four appearances in the 2013 season.

Join in at 1 p.m. ET for coverage of the NL East battle between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.

The 2013 season is now in full swing.

After 10 games, the St. Louis Cardinals are in sole possession of first atop the NL Central with a 6-4 record. But how have they gotten there?

By comparing each major player's current statistics to their 2012 numbers, I've attempted to measure their success against what is expected of them. 

We don't know what the future has in store for the Cardinals, but if these grades have set a precedent, we may be seeing great things.

The 9-1 Atlanta Braves are without doubt the hottest team in Major League Baseball right now.

Not only are their bats on fire, but their pitching staff has been firing on all cylinders. 

Just take a look at their standout offensive players:

Freddie Freeman - .412/.474/.647, 7-for-17, 1 home run, 1 double, 7 RBI, 3 runs scored.

Joe Garagiola Jr., senior vice president of standards and on-field operations for Major League Baseball, announced the punishments for both Carlos Quentin and Jerry Hairston Jr. today for their participation in Thursday night's bench-clearing brawl in San Diego that left Dodger co-ace Zack Greinke with a broken collarbone. 

Jose Reyes slid awkwardly into second base, and the result has the Toronto Blue Jays questioning if their season is sliding away.

Friday night's game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers was destined to be an interesting game. Not because of a division rivalry, but because of the story behind the two men taking the mound.

The battle of veteran pitcher vs. rookie stud in many ways went as it should.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ hopes for a postseason run in 2013 appeared to take a major hit Friday night when shortstop Jose Reyes left the game with an apparently serious ankle injury. As team officials wait to find out the extent of his situation, they should start considering possible replacements if it turns out to be a long-term absence.

Friday's 1-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians might be as worse as it gets for Chicago White Sox fans this season—or this may only be the start. 

It's not often a starter can go seven innings, give up one hit and end up without a victory, but White Sox starter Jose Quintana felt that pain Friday.