BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Royals Get Benzinger for Martinez

The Kansas City Royals acquired switch-hitting first baseman Todd Benzinger from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for outfielder-first baseman Carmelo Martinez.

Benzinger, 28, who had asked to be traded after losing the starting first base job to Hal Morris, was batting .187 (23 for 123) with one home run and 11 RBIs.

Martinez, 30, will be joining his third team this season. He started with the Pittsburgh Pirates but was traded to Kansas City on May 3 for Victor Cole. With the Royals, Martinez was batting .207 (25 for 121) with four homers and 17 RBIs.

Outfielder Lenny Dykstra is expected to return to the lineup of the Philadelphia Phillies Monday night against the Dodgers, team physician Phillip Marone said Thursday night.

Dykstra will have missed 58 games with a series of injuries, including a broken collarbone, after running his car into some trees May 6 in suburban Radnor.

Glenn Davis took batting practice, and Baltimore Oriole officials were encouraged. Davis has been out since late April with a nerve injury in his neck. The first baseman had not taken batting practice since then. Davis injured his spinal accessory nerve during spring training and by mid-April had lost most of the strength in his shoulder. . . . Jack Morris is scheduled to take his regular turn in the Minnesota Twins pitching rotation Saturday, even though he still hurts from the grounder he took off his foot in the All-Star game.