Cincinnati Bengals rookie offensive tackle Jonah Williams, the team's first-round draft pick, likely will miss the entire 2019 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

The Bengals announced Tuesday that Williams is expected to make a full recovery from the surgery, which repaired a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He was expected to be their starting left tackle. Cordy Glenn, who started at left tackle last season, is expected to again start there with Williams out.

"We look forward to Jonah being a major contributor in the future and know that he won't let this injury deter him from still being an important part of this team," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. "We're confident in our offensive line personnel as we head into training camp, and we believe they can do their part in helping this team achieve its goals."

Williams was selected by Cincinnati with the 11th overall pick after an outstanding college career at Alabama, where he was a unanimous first-team All-American in 2018.

ESPN's Katherine Terrell contributed to this report.

Some of the numbers are ridiculous in this season of the home run. Consider these statistics heading into Monday's action:

• Christian Yelich is on pace for 60 home runs, but that actually undersells his remarkable performance. Because he missed a few games, he is on pace for just 147 games played. If he homers at the same rate for the rest of the season and plays every game, he will become just the sixth player to hit 60 home runs -- and the first since Roger Maris in 1961 not named Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa. Not possible? Well, consider that over his past 160 games, Yelich has hit .344/.429/.707 with 56 home runs. He has been slugging at this level for a year now.

• The Minnesota Twins have belted 147 home runs, a season-long pace of 309 home runs. That would destroy the single-season mark of 267, set last season by the New York Yankees.

• Entering Monday, 22 players had at least 19 home runs, a 40-homer pace. If 22 players do get to 40, that would break the single-season record of 17 players from 1996. Only three players hit 40 last season. The home run leaderboard is full of surprising names such as Hunter Renfroe (23), Jorge Soler (21), Ketel Marte (20), Josh Bell (20), Max Kepler (19), Derek Dietrich (18) and Daniel Vogelbach (18).

• Rookie Pete Alonso is second to Yelich with his 27 home runs, so he has a chance to challenge Aaron Judge's rookie record of 52 and seems like a lock to break Cody Bellinger's National League record of 39.

Of course, this means somebody is serving up all those home runs. Consider the horror side of the story:

• The Baltimore Orioles are on pace to give up 324 home runs. That's an average of 36 home runs for each of the nine spots in the lineup. Nolan Arenado led the NL last year with 38 home runs.

• Drew Smyly of the Texas Rangers, trying to come back from Tommy John surgery, picked the wrong year for a comeback. He served up 19 home runs in 51⅓ innings before his release last week. Jerad Eickhoff of the Philadelphia Phillies isn't far behind, serving up 18 home runs in 58⅓ innings, before landing on the injured list with biceps homeritis.

• Smyly's rate of 3.33 home runs per nine innings is the worst ever for a minimum of 50 innings. Eickhoff is seventh worst. David Hess is ninth worst. But consider some of the pitchers with fewer innings: Alex Cobb has allowed nine home runs in 12⅓ innings; Edwin Jackson, 12 in 25⅓; and Dan Straily, 22 in 47⅔. Drew Steckenrider allowed nine hits in 14⅓ innings -- six of them home runs. Eleven pitchers with at least 10 innings have a higher home run rate than Smyly.

So, home runs -- a record-setting number of them, on pace for 1,000 more home runs than last season and 500 more than previous record set in 2017 -- have been the big story of the first half. Because this is baseball, critics have met this onslaught of power with a considerable degree of "get off my lawn" commentary. Back in 2014, everyone was complaining that nobody could hit anymore. Now everyone is complaining that there are too many home runs.

Compare that criticism to what has happened in the NBA, where the number of 3-point shot attempts have increased by more than 50% in just six seasons, from 20 per game in 2013 to 32 per game this past season. It seems the fans and those who cover the league have mostly embraced this trend -- in part, because teams that made more 3-pointers went 51-27 in this year's playoffs. Teams that make more 3-pointers usually win. Teams that hit more home runs usually win. This is the game as played in 2019.

Keep in mind that the overall runs scored per game remain within historical norms at 4.78 per game (the highest since 4.80 in 2007). Yes, all the home runs are mixed in with more strikeouts, fewer singles and fewer stolen bases, and this decline of non-home run action in the game is a reasonable issue to debate. At the same time, whenever I go to a game and the home team hits a home run, the fans all rise and cheer. Home runs aren't all evil (unless you're an Orioles fan).

Here are nine other big themes as we hit the halfway mark (all stats through Sunday):

Bullpen blues

As Nationals fans will attest, bullpens are historically bad. The Nationals have a 6.29 bullpen ERA, and the woeful Orioles are at 6.34. No modern bullpen has finished with an ERA above 6.00, and now we might see two teams do it in the same season. But it's not just bullpens in the mid-Atlantic region that are struggling. Relievers have a 4.50 ERA, while starters have a 4.44 ERA -- which would be the first season since 1969 that relievers have a worse ERA than starters.

One theory is that as managers demand more from relievers and less from starters, bullpens are getting stretched too thin. For most of the 2000s, the spread between starters' ERA and relievers' ERA hovered between 0.25 runs all the way up to 0.52 in 2012. That season, starters had 4.19 ERA, while relievers were at 3.67.

That also was when we started seeing a high uptick in relievers with high-octane velocity. I think part of this year's bullpen equation is that batters have become better at hitting high-velocity fastballs -- and that's going to affect relievers more than starters, since most relievers don't have the deep repertoire of pitches that starters have. This year, in fact, batters are hitting better against pitches of 95-plus mph than they are overall. Back in 2012, their weighted on-base average (wOBA) was 19 points worse against 95-plus:

2019: .248/.333/.409, .321 wOBA (.319 overall)
2018: .241/.324/.377, .309 wOBA (.315 overall)
2017: .245/.329/.394, .315 wOBA (.321 overall)
2016: .247/.322/.381, .309 wOBA (.318 overall)
2015: .242/.315/.370, .303 wOBA (.313 overall)
2014: .235/.307/.336, .291 wOBA (.310 overall)
2013: .240/.310/.354, .297 wOBA (.314 overall)
2012: .233/.311/.352, .296 wOBA (.315 overall)

The Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers begin the week with a 54-25 record, a 110-win pace (or 111, if you prefer to round up). That's not quite a record-breaking pace like they were on a couple of years ago, until they lost 16 of 17 late in the season; but this year's team might be even more impressive, given the overall depth of the National League.

Consider that in 2017, six NL teams lost 90-plus games, including the Giants (98) and Padres (91) in the NL West. This year, only the Marlins and Giants are on a 90-loss pace. Putting together this kind of record against a balanced league is a testament to the dominance of the 2019 Dodgers.

Here are the best records after 79 games over the past 10 seasons:

2018: Yankees, 53-26 (finished 100-62, lost in American League Division Series)
2017: Astros, 53-26 (finished 101-61, won World Series)
2016: Cubs/Rangers, 51-28 (Cubs finished 103-58 and won World Series; Rangers finished 95-67 and lost in ALDS)
2015: Cardinals, 51-28 (finished 100-62, lost in NL Division Series)
2014: Athletics, 49-30 (finished 88-74, lost wild-card game)
2013: Pirates, 49-30 (finished 94-68, lost in NLDS)
2012: Rangers, 50-29 (finished 93-69, lost wild-card game)
2011: Phillies, 49-30 (finished 102-60, lost in NLDS)
2010: Yankees, 48-31 (finished 95-67, lost in AL Championship Series)
2009: Dodgers, 50-29 (finished 95-67, lost in NL Championship Series)

So, 10 of the 11 teams played worse after their hot first half, although all 11 reached the playoffs. Barring a surreal turn of events, the Dodgers are going to win their seventh consecutive division title. And I predict they will break the L.A. franchise mark of 104 wins by the 2017 team -- and maybe even get to 110 wins. This team is that good -- even with a mediocre bullpen that ranks 11th in the majors in ERA and 24th in win probability added. With a better pen, we'd be looking at one of the best teams of all time.

Hyun-Jin Ryu's amazing start

The Dodgers are so dominant in large part because of their new ace. Hyun-Jin Ryu's stat line in this year of the long ball is like that pack of baseball cards in a Christmas stocking otherwise filled with coal: 9-1, 1.27 ERA, only six walks and seven home runs in 99 innings.

He has given up just one home run over his past 10 starts, a span of 71⅔ innings. He has allowed more than two runs just once all season and that came in his last start, and two of those were unearned. Since the mound was lowered in 1969, only 10 pitchers have finished with a first-half ERA below 1.50 with a minimum of 75 innings (and three of those guys were relievers). Not that anyone should expect him to maintain a 1.27 ERA, but Ryu's adjusted ERA+ (for park and league environment) of 335 would shatter the single-season record and top Pedro Martinez's modern mark of 291 in 2000 (when he had a 1.74 ERA versus a league ERA of 4.91). It has been a half-season for the ages.

The American League is awful

The NL leads interleague play 76-57 (again, through Sunday), which is one way to explain how bad the AL has been. But what we really mean is the Blue Jays, Orioles, Tigers, Royals and Mariners. I thought it would be hard to top 2018, when three AL teams lost 100 games, but look at the projected win-loss record of those five teams based on their current win percentage:

Orioles: 45-117 (two games worse than last season)
Royals: 57-105
Tigers: 57-105
Blue Jays: 60-102
Mariners: 69-93

The Mariners aren't on pace to lose 100, but they're trending in that direction, going 23-45 after that 13-2 start. Maybe they don't all get to 100 losses. FanGraphs projects only the Orioles losing 100 games. But the bottom line? A third of the AL is playing unwatchable baseball right now.

Yankees survive slew of injuries

The Yankees have benefited from the awful AL, surging past Tampa Bay into the AL East lead, even though they seemed to be playing their B team for much of the first half. Through their first 77 games, consider the games missed from this Yankees group: Giancarlo Stanton 70, Miguel Andujar 65, Didi Gregorius 64, Aaron Judge 54, Aaron Hicks 47. That is 300 missed games, or about two full seasons' worth of games from five players who combined for 146 home runs a year ago.

Others stepped up, however, most notably Luke Voit, Gio Urshela and Cameron Maybin. While the Yankees have cleaned up against the Orioles (10-2), they also played well against the Rays (7-2) and Red Sox (4-1). The schedule gets a little tougher over the next several weeks, however, including 10 games against the Red Sox through Aug. 4 and eight against the Rays.

Defense matters

OK, it has always mattered, but this is a reminder that even though the average strikeouts per game are up to 8.71, that still means a team has to get about 18 to 19 outs per game with its defense. The top five teams in defensive runs saved:

Dodgers: +97
Astros: +59
Diamondbacks: +51
Twins: +50
Rays: +47

Four of those teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, and the Diamondbacks have remained competitive despite losing three of their best players from 2018. On the other end of the list are the Mariners (minus-72), Orioles (minus-56), Mets (minus-55), Nationals (minus-30) and Tigers (minus-29). The Mariners, Orioles and Tigers weren't going to be good even with decent defense, but the Mets and Nationals certainly have been hurt at times by their defense.

Free-agent blues

All offseason, everyone whined about the lack of action on the free-agent market. Some went further than complaining. Well, here are how the top 10 free agents in total dollars have fared:

• Bryce Harper ($330 million): 35th among NL position players in FanGraphs WAR
• Manny Machado ($300 million): Trending up, but still just 21st among NL position players
• Patrick Corbin ($140 million): Hot start, but has struggled of late and is 6-5, 3.90 ERA
• Nathan Eovaldi ($67.5 million): Injured, made just four starts
• A.J. Pollock ($60 million): Injured, hit .223 in 28 games
• Andrew McCutchen ($50 million): Out for season with torn ACL
• Yusei Kikuchi ($43 million): 4-5, 5.11 ERA, including 9.00 ERA past six starts
• Zack Britton ($39 million): 2-1, 2.51, 25 SO, 18 BB, 22 H in 32⅓ IP
• J.A. Happ ($34 million): 7-4, 5.23 ERA, 19 HR in 84.1 IP
• Michael Brantley ($32 million): .322/.382/.512, 11 HR, 43 RBIs

So far, the only clear "win" for the teams has been Brantley. McCutchen was playing well before his unfortunate injury, and Britton has been reliable despite the high walk rate. Still, as a group, these 10 have been much worse than those from last season's group. And we wonder why front offices are so reluctant to pay out big money now in free agency?

The National League rookie crop shines again

Last year, the NL gave us Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto, Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty, among others. Somehow, the NL has come up with another impressive group of rookies: Pete Alonso and Fernando Tatis Jr. lead the way, but we also have starting pitchers Mike Soroka and Chris Paddack, plus Austin Riley, Alex Verdugo, Nick Senzel, Bryan Reynolds, Victor Robles and Keston Hiura (call him back up, Milwaukee!). It's hard to match the Acuna-Soto-Buehler trio, but this year's group might have even more depth. The game is trending younger with good reason: The kids can play.

Mike Trout is still superman

Trending upward since 2012. How many ways can we still say he's the best player in the game? As great as Yelich has been, as great as Bellinger has been, there's Trout, tied with Bellinger for the MLB lead in FanGraphs WAR and second in Baseball-Reference WAR. He is hitting .307/.466/.642, leading the AL in OBP, SLG, OPS, runs, walks and total bases. He is on pace to establish career bests in home runs and RBIs. He could be headed for the fourth 10-WAR season of his career, via Baseball-Reference. That is rarefied territory: Only Babe Ruth (9), Willie Mays (6) and Rogers Hornsby (6) have more than three.

Here's my advice for those complaining about too many home runs: Tune in to an Angels game every now and then and watch this man play baseball. That will make you forget about yelling at the kids to get off your lawn.

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Things haven't exactly gone according to plan for the Boston Celtics.

And yet, as the start of free agency approaches this weekend, Marcus Smart remains optimistic about the state of the franchise -- even as both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford appear headed elsewhere next month.

"I'm excited," Smart said Tuesday afternoon at his annual basketball camp at Brandeis University. "We're excited. As competitors, you have a season like we did last year and it leaves a funny taste in your mouth.

"We use that as our motivation and to keep going. We're very excited. Whatever team or whatever people or whoever is on the board or whoever is on this roster with us, we're excited to have them to go out there and fight."

Still, to have both Irving and Horford likely leaving the franchise as free agents is not what anyone was expecting would happen this time a year ago, when the Celtics were the favorites to take over for LeBron James as rulers of the Eastern Conference for years to come.

Instead, the Celtics never got going this season, finishing fourth in the conference and eventually getting rolled in five games by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Smart was asked about the up-and-down nature of Boston's season, but pushed back on the idea that the locker room itself was disconnected.

"Even in the regular season, it wasn't a disconnect," he said. "It was just a lot of people kind of got in and ... it was like a telephone game. You tell one person this, and by the time it gets back to you, the whole narrative had changed. That's kind of how it goes.

"You can only control what you can control. You focus on what you can focus on. As a player, you focus on getting into the gym, getting yourself better and you let the front office handle the front office stuff, and you do what it is you need to do for the team."

Meanwhile, Smart isn't ready to write things off in Boston, even if Irving and Horford leave. He pointed to the reigning champion Toronto Raptors -- who underwent massive changes themselves last summer before winning this year's title -- as inspiration for that belief.

"Hey, the thing is, the Raptors just won the championship, right?" Smart asked. "But they've got to start back over from the beginning just like we do. So we all start back over at the starting line, we all start at zero, and we all get a chance to do it.

"So everybody's starting over, regardless if they have the same team or not, they've all got to start from the beginning. That's how we take it. We take it as we come in, and we have an opportunity to do something special, and we get another chance to do it."

However Smart admitted that he expected things to change after Boston's disappointing season -- even if he wasn't quite expecting both of the team's veteran star free agents to depart.

"I expected things to change. Significantly or insignificantly wasn't really a big thing. I wasn't expecting as big or as little, I just knew something was going to change. I think everyone kind of knew that. Now, what that is, we have no clue.

"You can't really focus on that. You have to let the guys whose jobs it is to focus on that. You focus on what you can."

For Smart, that means continuing to prepare for next season. And, with a roster currently featuring a majority of players who are 25 and under, Smart -- as a 25-year-old himself -- sees his role as being more important than ever.

"Just because once again, being that longest-tenured Celtic, going into my sixth season and really understanding [coach] Brad [Stevens] and this organization, and the system that he likes to run, and just, that's who I am," Smart said. "And I've got to be that times 10 now, because we are going through some things. We did have a bad year. We've just got to keep everybody on the same track."

He said he's spoken to Irving since the season ended, but about non-basketball matters. He added that no matter what Irving and Horford decide, he won't have any ill will toward either of them.

"I mean, in today's game, nothing really catches us by surprise until it catches us by surprise," he said. "To me, a little bit, it did, but those guys are grown men, and they have every right to do what they feel is best for not only them and their families and their careers.

"Regardless of if those guys stay or leave, I have nothing but love for them. Always will. I wish nothing but the best luck for them, whatever they do."

Tuesday also was the first time Smart spoke publicly since being named to one of the NBA's two First-Team All-Defense guard spots, as well as winning the NBA's Hustle Award at Monday night's awards ceremony.

"It felt good from the standpoint of finally knowing that I'm not the only one seeing it," Smart said of the defensive honor. "But that doesn't determine the type of defender I am. Whether I got it or not, I'm still gonna be the defender I am. But I appreciate the award.

"It was kind of cool seeing my name up there with those guys and to be in that prestigious award and that level. So it's a good feeling, but it's not done and I'm still gonna be me regardless, with or without."

As for the hustle award, Smart said he didn't even know of the award before his agent texted him about winning it, although he added he appreciated the recognition of his contributions that go beyond box score statistics.

"I didn't even know that award existed," Smart said with a laugh. "It was good. I throw my body around a lot. I know I don't score too many points. I know I don't shoot the lights out or dribble like some guys in the league. I just do what I was taught to play. I know those things and those attempts are going to show up on the stat sheet. For that award to be out and be an award is incredible."

Drew Brees welcomed Zion Williamson to New Orleans with a framed jersey from the quarterback on which he wrote, "Passing the torch to you!"

The New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday tweeted video of Williamson's reaction to receiving the gift that was waiting for him when he arrived in New Orleans.

"Wow, passing the torch. Am I ready to take that on? The city of New Orleans," Williamson says in the video.

The jersey was accompanied by a card that read, "Zion, welcome to the family. Let's dance."

Williamson, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Pelicans in last week's draft, in the video says with excitement that it was the first jersey he had received from a professional athlete.

Williamson had previously posted a picture on his Instagram story of himself in the room with the jersey, but video wasn't released until Tuesday.

The 2019 season will be Brees' 14th with the Saints. He is the NFL's all-time leader with 74,437 passing yards and led New Orleans to its only Super Bowl win in the 2009 season.

Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri says he's staying with the team he helped build into an NBA champion.

Ujiri made the announcement to reporters during his season-ending media availability.

"I love it here. My family loves it here. My wife loves it here, which is very important. My kids are Canadians. You want to win more. ... In my mind, I'm here," Ujiri said Tuesday.

Earlier this month, league sources told ESPN the Washington Wizards were preparing to offer Ujiri a deal approaching $10 million annually with an opportunity for ownership equity.

Ujiri, 48, who has two years left on his contract, is the architect of the first championship in Raptors history. He also helped to build the Denver Nuggets into a contender.

Ujiri will now focus on retaining NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent.

Ujiri said he texted with Leonard as recently as Monday night and talked to Leonard's uncle and adviser, Dennis Robertson, earlier on Tuesday. Ujiri said he's "confident" Leonard will decide to return to Toronto.

"We'll wait. He's our player and he's a superstar on our team and we'll wait on that," Ujiri said.

Ujiri stressed the main selling points of his pitch to Leonard: health, trust, success.

"I said we have to be ourselves, and we were ourselves for the whole year,'' Ujiri said. "I think he saw that. I think we built a trust there.

"I believe winning a championship, him seeing who we are, working with his medical staff combined with our medical staff and getting him to where he wanted to be,'' Ujiri added.

Ujiri acquired Leonard and Danny Green last summer in a major trade with the San Antonio that sent DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a first-round draft pick to the Spurs.

"I think they know what the effect of Kawhi's decision is, but we're really approaching it like we want to bring everybody back on this team,'' Ujiri said. "That's a priority for us.''

Center Marc Gasol also has a player option for next season, and Green is a free agent.

Less urgent is a potential extension for forward Pascal Siakam, a runaway winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player award. The parties plan to meet during the summer league.

"Pascal has gotten to a place where he's definitely a priority for us and it's definitely going to be a conversation that we'll have,'' Ujiri said.

Ujiri said little about his confrontation with a deputy following the Game 6 clincher. The deputy's lawyer, David Mastagni, says his client is on medical leave with a concussion and jaw injury and is considering a lawsuit. Ujiri says his lawyers are updating him about the investigation.

"I am confident about who I am as a person, my character and as a human being,'' Ujiri said. "For now, I'll just respect their process there and wait for the next steps.''

Ujiri finished fourth in voting for the NBA Executive of the Year award, won by Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Boston Red Sox have reinstated right-hander Steven Wright the team announced.

The 34-year-old received an 80-game suspension on March 6 after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance during an offseason test.

He lost his appeal and he is ineligible to play in any postseason games this year.

In January, Wright and the Red Sox agreed to a one-year contract for $1,375,000, a raise of $275,000, in a deal that avoided arbitration.

Wright was 3-1 last season with a 2.68 ERA in 53.2 innings pitched for the World Series champions.

The team also announced that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi was moved to the 60-day injured list. The 29-year-old was originally put on the 10-day IL with a loose body in his right elbow on April 20, retroactive to April 18.

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles interrupted their miserable 2019 season to introduce a sliver of hope for the future: Adley Rutschman, the top overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

Rutschman sat alongside general manager Mike Elias during a news conference Tuesday at Camden Yards before the Orioles were to face the San Diego Padres, whose most notable player, Manny Machado, was nabbed by Baltimore with the third selection in the 2010 draft.

Machado became a star, but the Orioles traded him away last year in the midst of a 115-loss season because they couldn't afford to keep him beyond 2018.

Now in the process of a major rebuild, Elias is counting on Rutschman -- a switch-hitting catcher from Oregon State -- to become a key figure in the team's rise to respectability.

After mulling over several options, Elias settled on Rutschman and bestowed upon him an $8.1 million signing bonus, the largest ever provided to an MLB draft pick.

Elias termed the selection of Rutschman as "probably the biggest decision this organization is going to make this year."

Whether the 21-year-old rises to his potential will be determined soon enough, but at this point there is no understating his importance to a franchise that finished with the worst record in the majors last year and appears well on its way to duplicating that lamentable feat this season.

"We couldn't be more thrilled, having him be a part of the process we're going through to take this organization back to where it belongs," Elias said. "We are in phase right now where we are looking for building blocks, and I think by signing Adley Rutschman, we found a very big piece."

Rutschman intended to take batting practice with the team and was to be introduced to the home crowd on Tuesday night. After that, the plan is for him to take a break to accept some of the many awards he garnered this season, then play in the Gulf Coast League before joining short-season Class A Aberdeen.

"I always believe, when in doubt, start players at the lower-level league because it's very easy to transfer them if they're performing well," Elias said. "We took a lot of college players and almost all of them will be starting there."

Rutschman has already played plenty of baseball this season, but he can't wait to get started with the next phase of his career.

"It's always been a goal of mine to be in this position," Rutschman said. "For me, it's always been about the process of getting there. So, now it's about setting new goals. Now that I'm here, I am just excited about the opportunity and I'm truly humbled to be a part of the building process that is going on right now."

Rutschman is a pivotal piece of the rebuilding puzzle that Elias is trying to put together, but the Golden Spikes Award winner can't turn the franchise around alone.

"We're trying to bring in talent from every direction possible," Elias said. "Obviously having the No. 1 pick in the draft is a special opportunity to do that. The important thing for us is, this doesn't start and end here. But to have a player of his caliber, that I think is not necessarily available every year in the draft, is big for us."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The principal owner of the Rays says it's unrealistic for his team to play full time in the Tampa Bay area and a shared season with Montreal is the best option.

"I don't see it happening in St. Petersburg and would be hard-pressed to see it working in Tampa from what I know," Stu Sternberg said at a news conference Tuesday. "This is not a staged exit. This is about Tampa Bay keeping its hometown team and Montreal having one, too. I believe strongly in the sister-city concept. We're asking for open minds."

Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week the Rays have "broad permission to explore what's available." Tampa Bay is averaging 14,546 fans a game, lowest in the American League and well below the MLB average of 27,360. Only the Miami Marlins draw worse at 9,378.

"We are at or near the bottom in every economic category in Major League Baseball," Sternberg said in his remarks at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.

An agreement between the Rays and St. Petersburg for Tropicana Field runs through 2027. St. Petersburg's mayor has shot down the two-city possibility.

"The City of St. Petersburg will not participate in the funding of a new stadium for a part-time team," Mayor Rick Kriseman said. "We remain receptive to partnering with the Tampa Bay Rays to redevelop the Tropicana Field site and build a new stadium for a full-time team."

Sternberg envisions open-air stadiums in both cities but noted there are no plans to pay for them. He said an ideal target date would have everything in place for the 2024 season.

The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since their inception in 1998 and drew their lowest home crowd of 5,786 against Toronto last month.

Montreal has been without a big league team since the Expos left after the 2004 season for Washington and became the Nationals.

The Rays had looked into building a stadium for years, but in December abandoned a plan for one across the bay in Tampa's Ybor City area.

Private equity mogul Stephen Bronfman, whose father Charles was the original owner of the Expos, is part of a group spearheading the effort to return baseball to Montreal.

Sternberg said it's possible the Bronfman group could join the current Rays' ownership if the sister-city plans succeeds, but he will keep controlling interest.

Sternberg reiterated that the Rays will remain in St. Petersburg through 2027 but doesn't know what would happen after that if the plan fails.

A possible site for a new St. Petersburg ballpark would be Al Lang Stadium, a longtime spring training facility now used by a pro soccer team owned by the Rays.

Also under consideration: shifting the spring training season from Port Charlotte, Florida, to Tampa Bay to provide two more months of baseball in the area.

St. Louis Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks will have Tommy John surgery, Cardinals president John Mozeliak told reporters Tuesday.

The announcement comes a day after the team said Hicks had a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.

Hicks was removed from Saturday's 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth, after 1 1/3 innings.

The 22-year-old has thrown 211 pitches at least 100 mph this season, over 100 more than the next-closest player. Last year, Hicks threw 673 100 mph pitches and became the only player in the past 10 years to throw 500 or more 100 mph pitches in a single season.

The hard-throwing Hicks is 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA and 14 saves this season.

Baseball has a new process for deciding who will start the All-Star Game on July 9 in Cleveland. With the primary portion of the voting complete, we're down to three candidates per league at each position (with nine outfielders). Everyone starts at zero when the Starters Election balloting opens at noon ET Wednesday and runs through 4 p.m. ET Thursday.

While the finalists sweat it out, we examine the candidates at each position. (All statistics through Sunday's games.)

Watch All-Star selection shows on ESPN: The Starters Election winners will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET Thursday. | Full rosters announced at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Jump to: AL | NL

American League

Catchers

Primary voting results: Gary Sanchez (Yankees), 2,266,469; James McCann (White Sox), 1,085,254; Robinson Chirinos (Astros), 946,823

Who is the favorite? Sanchez. See that home run total? With 23 homers this year, Sanchez has outhomered the two other finalists combined, but here's what's really impressive: The Yankees catcher is tied with new teammate Edwin Encarnacion for the American League lead in the category. Sanchez isn't just a power threat: His .973 OPS is tops among qualified AL catchers and well ahead of those of McCann and Chirinos.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... McCann and Chirinos have similar backstories leading to their placement here. McCann struggled at the plate for the Tigers for four seasons before finding his stroke on the South Side this season, and Chirinos showed flashes of power during a six-year stint with the Rangers before flourishing in his new home. He might not have Sanchez's power, but McCann's .324/.387/.508 line certainly wouldn't look out of place in an All-Star starting lineup.

First basemen

Primary voting results: Luke Voit (Yankees), 1,205,706; Carlos Santana (Indians), 1,180,719; C.J. Cron (Twins), 1,045,120

Who is the favorite? Voit ... maybe. There isn't much that separates the three finalists here statistically, but there won't be much hope for Santana or Cron if Yankees fans turn out in full force to back their slugging first baseman. Santana could get a strong push as the only player with a chance to start the game for host city Cleveland.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... Cron doesn't have the big-market backing or the hometown factor, but he does have All-Star numbers on the season's most surprising team. Minnesota is going to roll into the All-Star break with more than 50 wins, and a breakout season from a first baseman on his third team in the past three seasons has helped the AL Central leaders get there.

Second basemen

Primary voting results: Tommy La Stella (Angels), 1,713,094; Jose Altuve (Astros), 1,629,148; DJ LeMahieu (Yankees), 1,312,490

Who is the favorite? LeMahieu. Altuve has the name, and La Stella (somehow) has the votes, but DJ LeMahieu is a legitimate MVP candidate in his first season in the Bronx. After signing with the Yankees following seven years (and two All-Star campaigns) in Colorado, the 30-year-old infielder has been a veteran rock for a team that has soared to the top of the AL East despite battling injuries all season.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... There isn't a bigger dark horse on this ballot than La Stella, whose unexpected power surge has turned the former fan favorite in Chicago into a legitimate All-Star candidate for the Angels. Prior to 2019, La Stella had hit 10 home runs in his 396-game career. This season? The Halos infielder has 15 in 259 at-bats.

Third basemen

Primary voting results: Alex Bregman (Astros), 2,341,355; Gio Urshela (Yankees), 857,474; Hunter Dozier (Royals), 746,742

Who is the favorite? Bregman. After he made his first All-Star team and finished fifth in the AL MVP voting a season ago, Bregman's primary voting totals showed just how highly fans across the game think of the Astros infielder. Yes, the batting average is down a bit from his 2018 mark, but he has already hit 21 home runs, and his .910 OPS isn't far off the .926 he posted last season.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... A stint on the IL has hurt the argument for Dozier a bit, but the long-time prospect, first-time performer has been one of the few bright spots in K.C. this season. Entering the season, the 27-year-old owned a .228/.279/.388 career slash line, making his 2019 numbers of .311/.397/.592 a welcome surprise for the Royals. How impressive are those numbers? Well, they're better than both Bregman's and Urshela's in all three categories.

Shortstops

Primary voting results: Jorge Polanco (Twins), 1,450,913; Carlos Correa (Astros), 1,115,469; Gleyber Torres (Yankees), 976,163

Who is the favorite? Polanco -- but it's close. After showing flashes in his first three seasons with the Twins, Polanco has put together an MVP-caliber first half for baseball's biggest surprise. His .326 batting average is the best in the American League, and he's also tied for the major league lead in hits while closing in on his career high for doubles and home runs in a season.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... There is no true dark horse in this race. If back injuries hadn't limited Correa to 50 games, his case to start would be stronger. Meanwhile, Torres has taken another step forward after a strong rookie campaign and is on pace for nearly 40 home runs with an All-Star-worthy all-around stat line.

Outfielders

Primary voting results: Mike Trout (Angels), 3,370,499; George Springer (Astros), 2,565,706; Michael Brantley (Astros), 1,667,430; Austin Meadows (Rays), 1,344,031; Mookie Betts (Red Sox), 1,325,117; Eddie Rosario (Twins), 1,172,657; Aaron Judge (Yankees), 995,903; Josh Reddick (Astros), 928,606; Joey Gallo (Rangers), 904,563

Who is the favorite? Trout. Mike Trout is doing Mike Trout things again, and his AL-leading WAR total translated to the most primary-round votes in the league. After Trout, a pair of Astros could be hard to keep out of the starting lineup, as Springer nears a return to the lineup that should give him a chance to add to his big first half, and Brantley has shined from the start of his first year in Houston. It would also be hard to count out Betts or Judge (even though he hasn't played much this season) in a fan vote.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... Austin Meadows has been slumping at the wrong time for an All-Star hopeful, but his .304 average, 12 home runs and .930 OPS are certainly worth consideration. Before being sidelined with an oblique injury, Joey Gallo was in the midst of a breakout campaign that had him in the MVP hunt, thanks in large part to a .276 batting average -- 63 points above his career mark -- to go with the power we've come to expect from the Texas slugger.

Designated hitters

Primary voting results: J.D. Martinez (Red Sox), 1,564,520; Hunter Pence (Rangers), 1,054,282; Nelson Cruz (Twins), 974,788

Who is the favorite? Martinez. J.D. Martinez's past two seasons have been so good that a .288 average, 16 home runs and 42 RBIs so far might qualify as a down year by his standards, but he's still the guy to beat at DH.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... If your first thought here is, "Wait, Hunter Pence is still around?" you probably aren't alone. When Pence left San Francisco after a string of nondescript seasons since last making an All-Star team in 2014, it seemed like the end could be near for the 36-year-old. Instead, Pence returned to his hometown and has provided one of baseball's feel-good stories of the first half for the Rangers.

National League

Catchers

Primary voting results: Willson Contreras (Cubs), 2,384,622; Brian McCann (Braves), 1,762,917; Yasmani Grandal (Brewers), 1,193,352

Who is the favorite? Contreras. The stats say there isn't much difference between Contreras and fellow NL Central catcher Grandal this season, but the Cubs backstop doubled Grandal's total in the primary round and is a known name as 2018's All-Star starter.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... At the age of 35, Brian McCann returned to Atlanta and has posted his highest batting average since 2009 and his best OPS since 2010 for the division-leading Braves. His overall numbers might lag behind those of the other two candidates a bit, but his place here shows what fans think of him.

First basemen

Primary voting results: Freddie Freeman (Braves), 2,214,793; Josh Bell (Pirates), 1,831,933; Anthony Rizzo (Cubs), 1,545,682

Who is the favorite? You really can't go wrong with any of them -- and the position is so deep that sluggers Pete Alonso and Max Muncy would have had cases to start if they had made the cut.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... In terms of name recognition, Bell is the clear dark horse of this group. But if you like breakout sluggers who routinely hit baseballs to the farthest reaches of the ballpark -- and sometimes into the waters beyond -- Bell might be the candidate for you.

Second basemen

Primary voting results: Ozzie Albies (Braves), 2,190,518; Mike Moustakas (Brewers), 1,758,636; Ketel Marte (D-backs), 1,102,419

Who is the favorite? Albies? The other two candidates are having objectively better seasons, but Atlanta's second baseman appears to be benefiting from the Braves' bump in voting. Moustakas is the most recognizable name of the trio, a star in Kansas City who has hit 30 home runs in his year-plus with the Brewers.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... You might not know Ketel Marte's name, but his .309 batting average and 20 home runs are proof that you should get familiar with Arizona's out-of-nowhere slugger. Besides suddenly becoming a basher for the D-backs this year, Marte's versatility has allowed him to play second base, center field and shortstop when needed.

Third basemen

Primary voting results: Nolan Arenado (Rockies), 2,483,867; Kris Bryant (Cubs), 1,400,401; Josh Donaldson (Braves), 1,376,228

Who is the favorite? Arenado. Colorado's superstar third baseman is putting together another monster year at the plate while continuing to make jaw-dropping plays in the field for the Rockies. While Bryant has rebounded from an up-and-down 2018 and Donaldson has provided a nice boost at the hot corner in Atlanta, Arenado is the favorite to start at 3B for the NL again in 2019.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... All three names are known quantities here. The biggest question at third base will be if Anthony Rendon can finally end his string of All-Star snubs by earning a spot as a reserve.

Shortstops

Primary voting results: Javier Baez (Cubs), 2,598,426; Dansby Swanson (Braves), 1,719,262; Trevor Story (Rockies), 961,384

Who is the favorite? Baez -- by a large margin. This might have been more interesting if not for a recent thumb injury that could leave Story sidelined through the All-Star break, but Javy's combination of star power, market and on-field performance is tough to top.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... Can a former No. 1 overall pick be a dark horse? Swanson is putting together his best season yet but still has a lot of work to do if he's going to challenge Baez (or Story) for All-Star starter honors any time soon.

Outfielders

Primary voting results: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers), 3,685,170; Christian Yelich (Brewers), 3,646,071; Ronald Acuna Jr. (Braves), 2,553,169; Nick Markakis (Braves), 1,425,889; Charlie Blackmon (Rockies), 1,242,552; Albert Almora Jr. (Cubs), 1,071,664; Jason Heyward (Cubs), 1,040,260; Kyle Schwarber (Cubs), 997,340; Joc Pederson (Dodgers), 961,515

Who are the favorites? Bellinger and Yelich. Those two are runaway favorites for NL MVP honors, let alone to start in the outfield. Even the homer-est of homer fans would be hard-pressed to leave the two stars of the first half in all of baseball off their ballots.

But if you want to back a dark horse ... Well, if the first two spots are spoken for -- and they are -- who does that leave for the final starting spot? Acuna and Blackmon are the two names that stand out from the remaining options. Still just 21, Acuna is on the verge of a long string of All-Star appearances. The veteran Blackmon, on the other hand, is looking to make his third straight All-Star appearance and is in the midst of a sizzling June that has pushed his average into the .330s with an OPS above 1.000.