Fan News

The Home Run Derby has become a staple of the All-Star festivities since it was first introduced in 1985, and Major League Baseball seems determined to keep improving the competition.

Eight players will take part in this year's event, and they are seeded based on the number of home runs they have hit to this point in the season. Ties are broken by giving the edge to the players who have hit the most home runs since June 1.

The Boston Red Sox announced the acquisition of relief pitcher Brad Ziegler from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday in exchange for minor leaguers Jose Almonte and Luis Alejandro Basabe. 

The upcoming MLB All-Star break freezes the standings, forcing organizations to spend the reprieve deliberating their status before the trade deadline.

For just this year, general managers get an extra day with the non-waiver deadline pushed to August 1. Action won't accelerate until later in July, but everyone can get a feel for who's buying, who's selling and which players will frequent the conversations.

The two teams that played in last year’s World Series lost key pitchers this week. New York Mets starter Matt Harvey was lost for the year, while Kansas City Royals closer Wade Davis landed on the 15-day disabled list.

Both players were major contributors to their respective teams.

The better news came from Davis who is eyeing a return on July 16 and will skip the All-Star festivities to focus on his health.

For other teams, though, MLB’s Week 14 had a positive undertone. Which teams might those be?

The New York Mets pitching staff can't catch a break. All-Star Noah Syndergaard exited Friday's game against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning with an apparent arm injury.

Continue for updates.

The New York Mets offense has been dealt a blow with All-Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes suffering an injury to his quad.  

Continue for updates. 

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton suffered an apparent right knee injury when he crashed into the center field wall while trying to make a leaping catch during Friday night's game against the Texas Rangers.

Continue for updates.

NEW YORK — On the day the New York Mets announced Matt Harvey will have his second major surgery in four years, Ron Darling brought up Tim Leary's name.

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders won the final roster spots for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Friday. 

MLB's official Twitter account confirmed the news:   

Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer will replace teammate Stephen Strasburg on the 2016 National League All-Star roster, MLB announced on Friday.

Scherzer, 31, is 9-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 0.97 WHIP through his first 18 starts. He's struck out 155 batters in 120.2 innings and will be making his fourth straight appearance in the Midsummer Classic.