Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez benched against Kershaw
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(4:51 pm ET) A matchup against supreme southpaw Clayton Kershaw has Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez on the bench Monday night.

Gonzalez has just seven hits in 32 at-bats against lefties this season. and is batting .182 (6-for-33) lifetime against Kershaw. But he has hit safely in eight of his last nine games.

Nationals’ Doug Fister, Sammy Solis throw bullpens Monday
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(4:46 pm ET) Nationals starting pitcher Doug Fister (forearm) and reliever Sammy Solis (shoulder) threw bullpen sessions Monday, according to manager Matt Williams. Both players will throw again in a few days.

Fister threw 20-25 pitches Monday, per Williams. He is expected to build up his pitch count from there.

Marlins SP Henderson Alvarez: I’ll start playing catch next week
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(4:42 pm ET) Marlins starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez has declared that he will start playing catch next week, which is a small step forward in his recovery from a shoulder problem.

Alvarez, who has been out for six weeks after losing his first four starts of the season, is still experiencing inflammation in the shoulder, per the Miami Herald.

Nationals’ Anthony Rendon still needs more at-bats in minors
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(4:42 pm ET) Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon (knee, oblique) was in Washington, DC on Monday to get in a workout at Nationals Park. However, he is not ready to be activated off the disabled list.

Rendon will return to Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday to resume a rehab assignment. He needs to get more at-bats and continue to work on his timing, according to MASNsports.com.

Rendon is 2 for 11 with one double, one walk and three strikeouts in three games since resuming his rehab assignment.

Blue Jays’ Dioner Navarro expected to return Tuesday
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(4:36 pm ET) Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Monday that catcher Dioner Navarro is expected to rejoin the team on Tuesday, Sportsnet reports.

Navarro has been out since April 21 due to a hamstring injury but has been working his way back into form with Triple-A Buffalo. He went 8 for 30 with four RBI before suffering the injury in April.

Brewers 1B Adam Lind sidelined again with back problem
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(4:29 pm ET) As anticipated, Brewers first baseman Adam Lind is set to sit again Monday in St. Louis. He is dealing with a back issue.

Lind is hitless in six of his last 10 games and is batting .167 (6-for-32) during that stretch. He might have been benched anyway against Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia had he been healthy.

Astros OF Colby Rasmus back in action Monday
by Marty Gitlin | CBSSports.com

(4:21 pm ET) Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez is on the mound Monday night for Baltimore. And that means outfielder Colby Rasmus is back in the lineup for the Astros.

Rasmus is batting fifth and playing center against the Orioles after sitting out the weekend series against the lefty-dominant White Sox.

It remains to be seen if his 3-for-4 effort in his last start broke him free from a slump in which he managed just two hits in his previous 19 at-bats. Rasmus owns a decent slash line of .239/.333/.500.

Report: Mariners’ Mike Montgomery likely to make debut Tuesday
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(4:12 pm ET) Mariners pitching prospect Mike Montgomery is likely to make his major-league debut on Tuesday against the Yankees, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

The Mariners have an open spot in the rotation due to the injury to James Paxton. Montgomery was scratched from his scheduled start with Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, but when manager Lloyd McClendon was asked on Monday about the reason for Montgomery’s scratch, he said, “I’ve got my own problems here, so I don’t know why he was scratched from his start.”

Montgomery was a former first-round pick by the Royals and ranked as high as No. 19 on Baseball America’s yearly list of baseball’s top prospects. He’s 4-3 with a 3.74 ERA and 47:15 K:BB ratio in 53 innings with Tacoma.

Cardinals OF Matt Holliday (illness) in starting lineup Monday
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(4:10 pm ET) Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday made it back into the starting lineup Monday against the Brewers after being scratched for the second time in three games Sunday due to an illness.

Holliday doesn’t have a great track record against Brewers starting pitcher Mike Fiers. He is just 1 for 11 with one RBI, five strikeouts and two walks in his career against the right-hander.

Holliday is batting .255 with no home runs, three doubles and three RBI in his last 14 games.

Blue Jays’ Justin Smoak, Josh Thole in lineup Monday
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(4:00 pm ET) Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak and catcher Josh Thole are in the starting lineup for Monday’s game against the Nationals.

Smoak is getting the call over Edwin Encarnacion at first base after the team’s regular first baseman went 1 for 24 over his last six games. Smoak has hit .266/.356/.438 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 64 at-bats. Thole is getting the call over Russell Martin to catch knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.

The Blue Jays are underdogs (+140) on Monday, per VegasInsider.com.