Australia have called spinning allrounder Sophie Molineux into their squad for the Women's Ashes Test, which starts next Thursday in Taunton. The left-armer has played three ODIs and 15 T20Is, taking 21 wickets for her country, but has yet to feature in Tests.

Molineux missed the original cut for the Ashes squad in June, as she was continuing to recover from shoulder surgery, but has now been brought into the group with the expectation that the Test surface could be receptive to spin. Her last outing came for Victoria in February, but she could get game time in a three-day tour match against England Academy at Marlborough College, starting on Thursday.

Australia are already 6-0 up in the points-based Ashes, having won all three ODIs. They only need a draw in the one-off Test to retain the trophy.

"I think it's a wonderful addition to our squad, Soph's done exceptionally well in the short international career she's had," team-mate Beth Mooney said. "She throws a lot of banter around the group and has a great time. It's really nice to see her back amongst the group after she had shoulder surgery. She's ticked all the boxes she can and put her hand up for the Test match."

Australia were dominant in the one-day matches, culminating in a 194-run thrashing at Canterbury on Sunday, with England unable to cope with the pace of Ellyse Perry in particular. They also have several slow-bowling options, in Jess Jonassen, Georgia Wareham and Ashleigh Gardner, if a spinning deck is rolled out at Taunton.

"There's been a bit of chat about that, we've played a few games at Taunton in the past, whether it's with Australia or the KSL," Mooney said. "The wicket's generally pretty good but if it's a bit drier we think it'll take a bit more turn. We've got some really good options there, pace bowling and spin. Once we get closer to d-day they'll have a good look at that wicket and make a decision.

"We'll try not to get too ahead of ourselves, obviously there's a lot that could happen in a four-day game. The carrot that's dangling in front of us means we'll go really hard early doors and makes sure we get ahead as much as we can as early as we can in the Test."

It's one of the biggest matches in the recent history of England cricket and it has been a sell-out for weeks, but there seems a good chance there may be many empty seats at Edgbaston on Thursday.

What is the problem?

It looked, for a while, as if India may be involved in Thursday's match. As a result, the side's supporters snapped up many of the tickets. But now, with India not involved in the game, those spectators are not expected to attend.

Can't they just sell their tickets to people who want to go?

Yes, up to a point. The ICC has a resale platform for such an eventuality that has resold 70000 tickets in this tournament to date. But it appears some - presumably wealthy - ticket holders cannot be bothered with the effort, while some others have taken to unofficial resale sites in an attempt to sell their tickets for a profit.

What's the matter with unofficial resale sites?

They aren't illegal in cricket. But they are contrary to the terms and conditions of ticket sale. That means the ICC can - and they have done on occasions throughout the tournament - cancel any tickets it sees for sale on such sites or in the hands of touts. That means that would-be spectators buying such tickets run the risk of not being allowed in the ground despite having paid for them.

So people should just use the official resale site?

That's the safest way to buy a ticket, yes. And probably the cheapest. Tickets on the official site can only be sold for their original face value. The ICC insist their opposition to unofficial resale sites is designed to protect spectators.

And that's working?

Yes.Thousands of tickets for the game have changed hands in the last few hours in such a manner. But anecdotal evidence from would-be ticket buyers suggests there is a great deal of frustration inherent in using that platform. There is evidence of crashing pages and tickets that look as if they are available proving impossible to buy; tickets show as available on the site until the fan who has them in their basket has completed the transaction. As a result, users are having to be immensely patient. There are tickets becoming available all the time, however, and they are being bought almost immediately.

What is the ICC doing to help?

They tell us they have emailed or texted every ticket holder for the game and reminded them to use the official resale platform. They are also warning those tempted by using the unofficial sites that tickets are being cancelled all the time.

How did Indian supporters end up with the bulk of the tickets?

Good question. It would appear the answer is they wanted them more and applied for more. A priority ticket ballot was, for example, offered to both the Barmy Army and the Bharat Army at the same time in May 2018. There was almost six times as much uptake from the Bharat Army.

Really?

Yes. Many Barmy Army supporters are far more keen on Test cricket. With an Ashes series coming up, it seems they may well have saved their money for that. And, to be fair, they may have had modest hopes of England's success in this tournament (have you seen England in recent World Cups?). It is probably a reminder, too, of the decline in interest in cricket in England and Wales and the reliance upon the Asian audience for the game's financial health.

Can't resale platforms be banned from selling such tickets?

They could, if the government legislated. Certainly cricket's authorities have been asking for that for a long time. And the government has indicated it is willing. But perhaps because parliament has achieved little in recent months - the Brexit debate has taken up a disproportionate amount of time - legislation remains a work in progress. As things stand, it is illegal to resell football tickets but not illegal to resell cricket tickets.

What has the ICC said?

"The only way fans can guarantee their ticket will be valid is to buy it from the Official Ticket Re-sale Platform, which allows fans unable to attend the remaining matches to sell to other genuine fans at face value," an ICC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. "Anyone purchasing tickets from an unauthorised source, either online or in person, faces the risk of being left out of pocket and unable to enter the venue." They also point out that many ticket holders will want to attend such a high-profile fixture irrespective of the teams involved. They point out the game is a sell out and hope the ground will be full.

How many empty seats are we expecting?

It's impossible to say. But it is likely to be in the thousands. There has been an issue throughout the tournament with non-attendance from those with sponsors' tickets.

Alright, so what's the official website address?

Click here.

Marcus Stoinis will be fit to play in Australia's semi-final against England and Peter Handscomb will be in the XI as a replacement for Usman Khawaja, according to Justin Langer.

Stoinis appeared to have recovered from a side strain he sustained in Australia's loss to South Africa and batted and bowled during Tuesday's training session at Edgbaston.

"He looks good," said Langer after training. "It was a very good nets session actually, there was a bit of heat in there again and it was very competitive and that always brings the best out in 'Stoins', so he did a good job today and he's fit to go."

Handscomb initially joined the squad as a replacement for Shaun Marsh, who was earlier ruled out of the tournament with a broken forearm. Matthew Wade and Mitchell Marsh were also called in as cover for Khawaja and Stoinis, but Langer indicated that only Handscomb was likely to come straight into the team.

"I'll tell you the truth. Peter Handscomb will definitely play, 100 percent" said Langer. "He deserves it. He was stiff not to be on this tour, he was so unlucky not to be in the initial squad after what he'd done to get us to that point. He's in good form, he played well for Australia A, gives us that nice balance in the middle order. He's got good temperament, he plays spin well, he's on top of his game, so Pete will definitely play."

Australia's relaxed air was evident as they prefaced their training session by singing happy birthday to Austin Marsh, son of Shaun. Later in the afternoon, some of the players wrestled with the toddler on the outfield. The previous day the entire squad walked barefoot around the outfield, a practice described by some onlookers as a type of connecting or 'earthing', but the notion of any new-age ritual was shot down by Langer, who said it was something he would often do with his opening partner, Mathew Hayden.

"What was it called?" asked Langer. "I don't know what you call it, we just took our shoes and socks off and walked a lap of the oval. It's a nice thing to do, it's a nice place to be. Haydos and I used to do it, just as a bit of a ritual before every Test match.

"You can walk on the best grounds in the world with your shoes off. So there's nothing to it. We walked a lap of the oval, we had a tough game against South Africa, it's just about staying as relaxed as possible.

"We know we're going to be up against it. England are a great team and we've got to be at our best, and the best way to be at your best is to be nice and relaxed. It was just walking a lap of the oval with our shoes off. We could've done it with our shoes on and nobody would've said anything."

There is certainly a far more laid back appearance to this squad than the last time they faced England at Edgbaston. In the only T20I of their 2018 tour, Australia lost by 28 runs before going on to lose all five ODIs of the series. But this Australian squad has a very different look, both in personnel and mental state.

"Peter Handscomb will definitely play, 100 percent. He deserves it. He was stiff not to be on this tour, he was so unlucky not to be in the initial squad after what he'd done to get us to that point." Justin Langer

"If you go back 12 months ago there wasn't too much to be relaxed and chilled about in Australian cricket, was there?" Langer said. "And that's the truth. We went through a major crisis in our cricket. It didn't just affect our cricket, it affected our country, so there wasn't too much to be relaxed about. We've had to work hard on being more humble in what we do and being focussed on playing good cricket but also being good people as well. And I know there will be some English people who will laugh about that but its actually true. We had to work hard on that and that's a good bunch of players.

"You get more relaxed as you start playing better as an individual or as a team. Maybe we are a bit more relaxed but only on the back of playing good cricket and having had to work hard on that."

While Australia's squad bears little resemblance to the one that was trounced last summer, Langer said he admires the way England have built a strong squad through continuity.

"They've been together for four years," said Langer. "And going back to the question about this being a more relaxed squad, you get to know each other and enjoy each other's company. They've got great continuity, England, and obviously have unbelievable confidence because they have played together for four years.

"And they've obviously got a good game plan and a lot of very talented cricketers. All those factors combined is why they're the best team in the world at the moment. And we're aware of that - it's going to be a really tough game on Thursday - but looking forward to it as well. It's always nice, England playing Australia in the Ashes or big games like this. We're looking forward to it. It's going to be a lot of fun.

"I have maintained it from day one, England are going to be really hard to beat in this tournament. They had a couple of little blips, but they fought back really strongly and that's what we expected to happen."

"Regardless of what happens on Thursday - and I'm sure Trevor Bayliss and Eoin (Morgan) are saying the same thing - regardless of what happens Thursday they would very proud of what's happened in the past four years."

46.1 overs New Zealand 211 for 5 (Taylor 67*, Williamson 67, Bumrah 1-25, Bhuvneshwar 1-30) v India
As it happened

Rain pushed the Old Trafford semi-final between India and New Zealand into its reserve day. When the players went off the field at the start of the 47th over, New Zealand had struggled to 211 for 5 on a distinctly two-paced surface.

Under the tournament playing conditions, the match officials tried their best to complete the match on Tuesday, even if it meant a reduction in overs, but the rain didn't let up. This means that the match will resume on Wednesday - weather permitting - as a full 50-overs-a-side contest.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only): How the game unraveled before the players went off

The five most recent matches at Old Trafford leading into this one had all been won by the team batting first, and that's what Kane Williamson decided to do upon winning the toss, though he said it had been "a toss-up with the overheads", given the threat of rain and a revised target - which usually favours the chasing team.

India's new-ball bowlers relished the overheads first up, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar finding swing straightaway and a cracked surface also affording him and Jasprit Bumrah seam movement. Their lengths were immaculate, and both began with maidens. When extra bounce forced Martin Guptill to fend Bumrah to Virat Kohli at second slip, New Zealand were 1 for 1 after 3.3 overs. It had been a near-perfect opening salvo from India, save a wasted review first ball when Bhuvneshwar struck Guptill on the front pad with a ball that ball-tracking suggested hadn't straightened enough to hit leg stump.

New Zealand didn't lose any more wickets in the first ten overs, but their score at the end of the first Powerplay - 27 - was the lowest of the World Cup. Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah gave nothing away, and frequently beat the bats of Henry Nicholls and Williamson, who for their part didn't take any risks, mindful of the need to keep wickets in hand.

By the first drinks break, the second-wicket pair was beginning to gain a bit of momentum, with Nicholls sweeping Ravindra Jadeja for four in his first over, and Williamson pulling and steering Hardik Pandya for boundaries in successive overs. When Pandya hobbled off the field after the 16th over, looking in some discomfort with his groin, India may have begun to feel a little concerned. They had left out Kedar Jadhav once again, and only had five bowlers. With six overs of Pandya's quota still left, would they need to turn to Virat Kohli's highly occasional medium-pace?

As it turned out, Pandya soon returned to the field to resume bowling his cutters and slower bouncers, and Jadeja delivered an important breakthrough.

Having been swept for that early boundary from left-arm over, he went round the wicket to the left-handed Nicholls. This meant Jadeja would largely be pitching within the stumps and straightening the ball, rendering the sweep a risky option. Forced into the defensive, Nicholls was bowled by one that turned sharply past his inside edge.

The amount of turn Jadeja was getting vindicated India's decision to stick with him. They must have been tempted to pick both their wristspinners, but Jadeja's value with the bat tilted the scales in his favour.

Rather than the left-arm wristspin of Kuldeep Yadav, India went with the legspin of Yuzvendra Chahal, and with the ball gripping, turning, and often stopping on the batsmen, Williamson and Ross Taylor had to bat with caution. From the start of the 19th over - in which Nicholls departed - to the end of the 27th, New Zealand only scored 20 runs. When Taylor swept Chahal to the backward square leg boundary in the 28th over, it was the first boundary in 81 balls.

In the 35th over, Williamson - who had by then brought up his fourth 50-plus score of the World Cup - made a visible effort to quicken the pace of scoring, lofting Jadeja over extra-cover for three and slog-sweeping him for four. But it remained difficult to go after the spinners, as was apparent when he played and missed at the last two balls of the over, attempting to make room to hit inside-out.

A similar shot in the next over brought about Williamson's downfall, Chahal's turn and bounce inducing him to slice to backward point. James Neesham fell five overs later, finding long-on with a leading edge off Pandya. New Zealand were still struggling to come to terms with the slowness of the pitch, and by the end of the 41st over their run rate was still below four an over.

The change of gears came in the 44th over, when Taylor brought up his half-century - off 73 balls - with a trademark shovel-sweep for six off Chahal. Two more boundaries - a whip against the turn from Taylor, and a slap through point from Colin de Grandhomme - gave New Zealand 18 for the over.

De Grandhomme edged Bhuvneshwar to the keeper in the next over, but Taylor was just beginning to look dangerous - he had scored 23 off his last 13 balls - when the rain arrived.

Various scenarios could have played out depending on when the rain stopped. India could have been set a revised target of anything between 148 in 20 overs and 237 in 46. An inspection looked imminent at one point, only for the rain to resume, and in the end - weather permitting, of course - we will get a full 50-overs-a-side contest. Not ideal, perhaps, for the spectators, but just right for the semi-final of a 50-overs World Cup.

Ben Stokes believes he is in good shape with bat and ball for the "most important game" of his career.

Stokes is no stranger to the big occasion having memorably played in a World T20 final, a Champions Trophy semi-final and numerous other high-profile international and IPL matches. But he feels the chance of reaching a World Cup final and beating England's oldest cricketing enemy on the way, add up to make Thursday's semi-final against Australia more significant than any of them.

"Is this the most important game I've played? Yes, to date. Definitely," Stokes said. "Playing against Australia is a big occasion in any sport. The rivalry goes way back. Beating them is that touch better than any other team. Losing to them at Lord's was massively disappointing, so I think there will be a bit of redemption in knowing we have the chance to beat them and get to that final."

While Stokes has, at first glance, enjoyed a much better tournament with the bat than the ball, averaging 54.42 with the bat at a strike rate of 95.01, it is his bowling that has given him most satisfaction. For although he has bowled only 43.5 overs in the nine games to date and claimed a relatively modest seven wickets, he is conceding only 4.65 runs per over, making him England's most economical bowler. The secret of that success, he feels, is understanding his role with the ball.

"The thing I have been most happy with has been my bowling," Stokes said. "I'm in a very good place with my batting. I have just continued to work on the same things but also tried to test myself. I'm not letting up because this is the crucial moment: lose this and we're out. I think just having the confidence of being in lots of situations over the past four years has made it easier. Batting at No. 5, I either rebuild or have to get on with the game.

"But the most pleasing thing has been my bowling. I had a chat with Eoin Morgan to get my head around my role. Being fourth or fifth seamer, I sometimes put too much pressure on myself to influence the game. So I spoke to them about not trying to take a wicket every ball and instead aim at going for five or six an over. I might get a wicket doing that anyway and it's helped offer the team more. In the last couple of years, it's probably where I have let the team down."

Stokes has made between 79 and 89 four times in the tournament so far, but insists he is not bothered by falling short of individual milestones. Instead, he is only motivated by contributing to team victories.

"I'm not too fussed," he says. "I won't walk away disappointed if I don't get a hundred - that's not what I'm about. I think going into a semi-final knowing all of our top four have hundreds is a great place to be. Both openers have hundreds, Joe Root and Morgs have hundreds. It's very impressive.

"I'm massively proud [to be part of this team]. When our careers end we'll be able to look back and say we have played with the world's best, got to No. 1 but more importantly, played with a good bunch of people. I believe this team is the best at what they do and we're trying to build a path for many years to come: this is what England stand for and how we want to play.

"I don't feel like I have to prove anything to anyone except myself. [The Bristol incident] opened my eyes to a lot of things, but I don't have to prove anything to anyone. It's just showing I can deliver on the biggest stage. Winning is the most important thing and if you can help the team out with an individual performance, that's all that counts. People can say good things, bad things, it just won't bother me."

MIAMI -- Dolphins defensive tackle Kendrick Norton is starting his recovery from a car accident that led to the amputation of his left arm this week.

The NFL stepped in with some help Tuesday morning, telling Norton that all of his medical bills will be covered under the league's and Dolphins' insurance policy, per his agent Malki Kawa.

Norton posted a message on his Instagram story on Monday giving a thumbs up and the words: "I'm good thank you to everyone that checked on me!!! I'm good thanks for the prayers to God be the glory."

That image was captured and shared by South Florida Sun Sentinel reporter David Furones.

Kendrick Norton on his Instagram story this morning ? pic.twitter.com/HmOUhQ0FdJ

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) July 8, 2019

The accident ends Norton's NFL career and the focus has turned to getting Norton recovered to resume his life. He has received an outpouring of support from family, former Dolphins and University of Miami teammates, friends and strangers, among others. His team launched a GoFundMe page asking for additional financial support given the needs that will arise in his current circumstance. As of Tuesday afternoon, it raised over $5,000 since its launch Monday night.

Kawa said that Norton's "spirits are up considering the traumatic accident that he suffered and he's thankful for the support." Kawa also said Norton will have another surgery Tuesday on his left arm and he needs two more surgeries before he's in the clear in terms of his arm. He's already had three surgeries over the past week. His team is asking for continued prayers and support.

The hope is that Norton will eventually be able to get a prosthetic arm.

Although Norton remains in the hospital, his medical status has been upgraded to stable and his injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Norton was selected in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, and the Dolphins signed him off the Panthers' practice squad in December. He was expected to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster this season.

One route the Miami Dolphins could choose with Norton is placing him on the non-football injury list in 2019, which means they could choose to pay for all or a portion of his $495,000 non-guaranteed salary.

Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Alex Camacho said the Ford F250 driven by the 22-year-old Norton last Thursday morning crashed into a concrete barrier on State Road 836 near Miami. The truck overturned and came to a rest on its roof. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews rendered aid to Norton, who had severe injuries to his left arm and was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. The Florida Highway Patrol said a second vehicle was involved in the crash and that the driver of the 2015 Maserati did not sustain any injuries.

CLEVELAND -- The head of the baseball players' association has detailed the union's goals during collective bargaining, listing the restoration of a "competitive environment" and "meaningful free agency" as aims.

Baseball's labor contract runs until December 2021, but the sides committed last winter to early talks. Thus far, they met once to discuss the scheduling of future meetings.

Union head Tony Clark says his members want to focus on "getting players something closer to their value as they are producing it," a reference to the structure that has players getting close to the minimum until they have nearly three years of major league service time, when they become eligible for salary arbitration.

He also says the union wants the "best players on the field at all times," a reference to accusations that clubs hold top prospects in the minor leagues to delay their eligibility for salary arbitration and free agency, which requires six years of service.

Clark also has said rebuilding teams that are noncompetitive hurt the industry.

Commissioner Rob Manfred once again emphatically denied that Major League Baseball has altered baseballs to generate more offense, amid widespread criticism from some of the sport's top pitchers.

"Baseball has done nothing, given no direction for an alteration in the baseball," Manfred told reporters Tuesday. "The flaw in logic is that baseball wants more home runs. If you sat in owners meetings and listen to people on how the game is played, that is not a sentiment among the owners for whom I work."

Manfred also said "there is no evidence from scientists that the ball is harder" but acknowledged that "the drag of the baseball is less."

He said MLB is trying to find out why the drag is less but had not been given answers by scientists.

"Pitchers have raised issues particularly about the tackiness and seams on the baseball, and we do believe those could be issues," Manfred said.

Manfred's comments came one day after Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander, the American League's starting pitcher in Tuesday's All-Star Game, told ESPN's Jeff Passan that the baseballs being used this season are "a f---ing joke" and that he believes "100 percent" that MLB has implemented juiced balls to increase offense.

Verlander's sentiment was echoed by Mets ace Jacob deGrom, who said Monday that he was "not going to disagree with him," and Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who agreed that the baseball "seems to travel differently."

"All the rules that are changed in the game, that has to be cleared with the players," Scherzer told reporters. "But when the ball changes as much as it has over the last handful of years, the players have no say in that whatsoever.

"We as players wonder why the ball can change that much, that fast, and to have that big of results. That's why as players we deserve an answer to what's going on."

Players union head Tony Clark also chimed in Tuesday, saying "the ball suddenly changed, and I don't know why."

Manfred countered that there is "no desire among ownership to increase homers in the game," saying that "to the contrary, (owners) are concerned about how many we have."

Players belted 3,691 homers in the season's first half and are on pace to hit 6,668 home runs, which would obliterate the record of 6,105 hit in 2017.

Verlander, despite a 2.98 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 126 2/3 innings, has allowed a major-league-leading 26 homers.

Manfred addressed the issue earlier Monday -- before Verlander's comments -- in an interview with ESPN's Golic and Wingo, saying again that the ball has "less drag" but pointing out that "data suggests fans like home runs."

"It's easy to get carried away with 'you have too many home runs,'" Manfred said Monday. "Let's not forget that our fan data suggests fans like home runs. It's not the worst thing in the world.

"We think what's been going on this year is attributable to the baseball. Our scientists that have been now studying the baseball more regularly have told us that this year the ball has a little less drag. ... We are trying to understand exactly why that happened and build out a manufacturing process that gives us a little more control over what's going on. But you have to remember, our baseball is a handmade product and there is going to be variation year to year."

Conversations about a juiced ball have percolated since after the All-Star break in 2015, when home runs spiked. They are up nearly 60 percent from the 2014 season, and a study commissioned by Manfred concluded that baseballs were performing differently but didn't attribute a reason.

In June 2018, one month after the study was released, MLB bought Rawlings, the supplier of the official major league ball.

"It's a f---ing joke. Major League Baseball's turning this game into a joke," Verlander said Monday. "They own Rawlings, and you've got Manfred up here saying it might be the way they center the pill. They own the f---ing company. If any other $40 billion company bought out a $400 million company and the product changed dramatically, it's not a guess as to what happened.

"We all know what happened. Manfred the first time he came in, what'd he say? He said we want more offense. All of a sudden he comes in, the balls are juiced? It's not coincidence. We're not idiots."

Manfred was asked Tuesday whether MLB would consider altering the baseballs to reduce the number of homers.

"If we were going to do it, we would do it in a way that was transparent to the media and fans before making that change," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- When Hyun-Jin Ryu started Game 1 of last year's National League Division Series for the Dodgers, it was explained as a strategic decision meant to juggle rest, a circumstance that did not impact Clayton Kershaw's ability to pitch a potential decisive Game 5. When he was named the Opening Day starter five months later, it was a byproduct of others -- namely Kershaw and Walker Buehler -- not being ready enough or healthy enough to begin the season.

Now Ryu will start the All-Star Game, picked ahead of every other pitcher in his league, and there is no need to justify it. Dave Roberts, the Los Angeles Dodgers manager who will lead the National League All-Stars into Tuesday's Midsummer Classic, called it "a no-brainer."

"He's been the epitome of consistency," Roberts said during Monday's news conference from Cleveland. "He's been the best pitcher in the National League."

Ryu leads the majors in ERA (1.73) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.90) while trailing only Justin Verlander, the American League's starting pitcher, in WHIP (0.91). He has issued only 10 walks in 109 innings and allowed only 100 baserunners throughout the first half, the latter setting a record among those with at least 17 starts and 100 innings before the All-Star break.

Dating back to the start of last season, a stretch of dominance interrupted only by a severe groin injury, Ryu is 17-5 with a 1.83 ERA. His 2019 ERA stands as the sixth-lowest before the All-Star break in 20 years, trailing just the following pitchers: Zack Greinke (2015), Pedro Martinez (2000), Roger Clemens (2005), Jacob deGrom (2018) and Josh Johnson (2010).

"I always thought that I could compete in this league," Ryu said through a translator last week, "but I didn't know I was going to perform this well."

Ryu was a prized acquisition out of the Far East, the first player to go straight from South Korea to the major leagues. Seven years ago, the Dodgers spent nearly $62 million to earn exclusive negotiating rights and then sign him to a contract. But Ryu will tell you he never pitched this well in the Korean Baseball Organization, an inferior league altogether. He was solid in his first two seasons as a Dodger, going a combined 28-15 with a 3.17 ERA in 344 innings from 2013 to 2014.

But he wasn't this precise. He wasn't this dominant. He wasn't Greg Maddux.

Ryu's ascension to stardom -- at 32, an unlikely age in a sport that continually skews younger -- is no coincidence. It's the result of marked evolution, both in his mindset and in his repertoire. It was sparked by maturity, by desire, by failure. It consisted of three critical steps.

Step 1: Overcome

Ryu underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder in May 2015 and did not pitch at all that season. He returned in July of 2016, pitched once, then was shut down for the rest of the year with pain in his elbow, ultimately undergoing a debridement procedure to clean up damaged tissue. In two years, Ryu made one start.

"The entire process," he said, "was basically the lowest point in my life."

Tommy John surgery -- a procedure Ryu had as a teenager -- boasts a relatively successful track record, but labrum surgery does not. The shoulder isn't anywhere near as straightforward. It will develop abnormalities over time, some of which are necessary to pitch effectively, and repairing them could prove counterproductive.

Clemens, Bret Saberhagen and Orel Hershiser bounced back well from shoulder surgery, but a host of others -- Johan Santana, Mark Mulder and Mark Prior, to name a few -- never fully recovered.

"Coming back from shoulder surgery was definitely more than I expected or anticipated," Ryu said. "People were doubting me, and there were many people that were saying it's one of the toughest injuries to come back from. But I tried to focus on my goal, coming back and pitching on the mound again, and really try to cancel all those doubts. That definitely helped me come back from it. But to be completely honest, it wasn't easy at all."

What we're seeing now, many will say, is a result of Ryu being fully healthy for the first time in a long time. He said the Dodgers "knew when they signed me I wasn't 100 percent in terms of my body condition and health-wise," alluding to the shoulder soreness that occasionally crept in early on. Getting that corrected, and pitching pain-free for perhaps the first time since coming to the United States, might be the biggest reason Ryu has emerged as a dominant figure.

But it isn't the only one.

Step 2: Expand

A pattern began to develop early in Ryu's career. He was elite at throwing fastballs and changeups thrown arm-side, so right-handed hitters began selling out on those outside-corner pitches in hopes of doing damage. He needed a pitch firm enough to run in on right-handed hitters and keep them honest.

Ryu's slider was inconsistent, so longtime Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt suggested he try a cutter. The mechanics were basically the same; all he had to do was alter the grip. The time spent recovering from surgery presented an opportunity for both of them to explore this further, studying the way CC Sabathia used his cutter to both sides of the plate. Ryu grasped it instantly. Over time, he learned how to manipulate the pitch to give it more depth when necessary.

"You ask him to do something, he can do it," Honeycutt said. "He can do whatever he wants with the ball."

When Ryu returned in 2017, he was suddenly a five-pitch pitcher. He had his three staples -- the four-seam fastball, the changeup and the curveball. But he also had the cutter, a pitch he has thrown 20 percent of the time over the past three years. And he also developed a two-seam fastball, a product of studying the way Dallas Keuchel uses the pitch to bust left-handed hitters inside.

Ryu can throw all of them, in any count, to all four quadrants of the strike zone -- a devastating arsenal, even though the vast majority of them travel less than 90 mph.

In the words of teammate Ross Stripling: "Hyun-Jin doesn't have a fastball count."

Step 3: Evolve

Ryu tore his groin muscle off the bone during a start in Phoenix last May. He carried a 2.12 ERA to that point, but would be sidelined for 15 weeks, yet another setback in a mounting list of them.

Honeycutt took it as an opportunity for Ryu to evolve further.

Ryu was probably the best on the staff at reading hitters' swings, a skill that enabled him to quickly assess how they reacted to certain pitches. He also had a photographic memory for sequences, which allowed him to constantly change his patterns. And so Ryu usually just relied on feel when he pitched, never necessarily scouting his opponents ahead of time.

"Just like in anything that you study, it's way better to learn actively rather than passively," Ryu said. "My first couple years, I was more of a passive learner, just trying to learn about the hitters from others. But the last two years, I've been more active studying these hitters, and I think that resulted in better pitch sequence and just attacking the hitters in general and getting to know them. That really helped my game incredibly."

Honeycutt began by giving Ryu his notes to work off while watching other pitchers' starts. He wanted him to build a foundation of knowledge before meeting with his catcher. He wanted him to take ownership of his starts.

Of utmost importance was having an idea for how to exploit tendencies to begin and finish at-bats, to formulate a plan for how to attack certain hitters when working ahead and behind counts. The next layer was learning how opponents changed their tendencies when given opportunities to drive in runs. Ryu is excelling in that situation. He sports a 3.38 ERA with runners in scoring position this season, easily the lowest mark in the major leagues. Second-best is Max Scherzer -- with a 6.44 ERA.

Since coming back from that groin injury on Aug. 15, 2018, Ryu has allowed 32 earned runs in 161⅔ regular-season innings.

One-hundred and twenty-six pitchers have allowed more runs this season alone.

"You're seeing him very motivated," Honeycutt said. "He worked hard to get himself back, and now he's very in tune with what he wants to do in the game."

CLEVELAND -- The leadoff hitter for the National League All-Stars is reigning MVP Christian Yelich, who has 31 home runs at the break. The No. 9 hitter will be 21-year-old Ronald Acuna Jr., who has matched his age already with 21 first-half home runs. The low power man in the NL starting nine is catcher Willson Contreras, with a mere 18 home runs.

That means all nine starters are on pace to hit 30-plus home runs. Given the record barrage of home runs across the sport in 2019, it's not a big surprise that the NL lineup may be the most power-packed in All-Star history.

"It means there's a lot of talent in the game right now," Yelich said Monday. "I saw they had Acuna hitting ninth. I don't know how many times he's ever hit ninth in his life, but when you have a player of that caliber hitting ninth, it speaks to the depth of talent."

It's also a youthful group of sluggers, none of them even 30 years old yet. The average age of the NL starters is the youngest in All-Star history. "I guess we're doing something good," Cubs shortstop Javier Baez, the No. 2 hitter in Dave Roberts' lineup with 22 home runs, said with a laugh. "It's crazy how you see all this young talent. It's great that the kids are learning so fast."

It's also crazy that Baez, still just 26 years but already in his sixth major league season, refers to the next generation of stars like Acuna as kids.

But this is the game in 2019: home runs and strikeouts and young power hitters. Batting average? Nobody cares about batting average, certainly not like your grandfather cared about batting average.

"If I wanted to hit .300, I'd hit .300," Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. "It's an OPS game, though. It's about driving the baseball and getting on base, walks and extra-base hits. If it turned into an average game, I'd get the ball out of the air and hit line drives and hit .330.

"All the hitters care about now is OPS. We don't care about batting average. Some guys do, I guess. Batting average is an old stat that doesn't matter. It's OPS, runs created, WAR. Look at Mike Trout's numbers. There are guys that hit .340. Mike Trout is hitting, what, .300 on the dot? I'd rather have Mike Trout's numbers with all the walks and the damage than the guy who hits .340 [with a bunch of singles]. It's an OPS game."

Indeed, Bregman hits the All-Star break with a .265 batting average but ranks third in the American League in OPS and third in on-base percentage. He's not hitting close to .300, but he's been one of the best run producers in the league. That's what matters.

While Yelich says he tries not to look at his stat line during the season, he also cited OPS as a simple measure of how's he producing. "Everyone talks about that now," he said. "That's a big one. To score runs, you gotta get on base and you have to slug, and that's pretty much OPS in a nutshell."

Of course, many fans cry about the lack of singles and the rise in strikeouts. Many still romanticize the .300 hitter, Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs slapping singles to the opposite field and hitting .350. During the steroid era, the MLB-wide batting average peaked at .271 in 1999 -- when 55 qualifiers hit .300, the most in a season since the pitching mound was lowered in 1999. Still, the .300 hitter is hardly dead, even with pitchers throwing harder than ever. Twenty-five players hit the break hitting .300, with Jeff McNeil of the Mets leading the majors with a .349 average. That's on par with the number of .300 hitters across the majors in recent seasons, although admittedly down from what we saw 20 years ago:

2015-2019: 22.2
2010-2014: 23.2
2005-2009: 37.4
2000-2004: 42.0
1995-1999: 46.0
1990-1994: 31.2

Also, hitting is hard! Heck, just five years ago, after offense dropped to its lowest levels in more than two decades in 2014, the big story was that nobody could hit. The hitters -- yes, with help from the juiced baseball -- have gained their revenge. They got better.

"I think you just learn," said Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. "Fastballs are so hard and [pitchers] are spinning the ball. You learn that you don't have to do too much to make things happen. I think that's helped me as a baseball player, because you think if someone's throwing hard you have to swing even harder, and I learned just to take a nice smooth swing and put the barrel on the ball and the ball's going to fly. I learned that, and I think these young guys have learned that pretty quickly and they know how to do it, and that's why a lot of homers are happening."

Plus, hitting .300 isn't easy. "It's power hitting and power pitching," said Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, the old man in the NL starting lineup at 29 years old. "That's what it is now. Players are combating high heaters by swinging up and hitting homers. I think the game changes every few years. Three years from now we'll be talking about how the game is a little different again."

Home runs may rule the day, and players know it's easier to score one run with one big swing then three singles, but that doesn't mean they're not impressed by a .300 hitter. Asked if it's more difficult these days to hit .330 or to hit 35 home runs, Freeman laughed. "I think hitting .300 is the hardest thing. You can hit homers. That's where we're at. I have Josh Donaldson on my team, and he asked if you'd rather hit .260 with 50 home runs or .300 with 20 home runs. I always say .300 with 20, but that's just me. I like that '3' in front of the batting average."

It's also not easy to just go up there and hit a ground ball in the hole for a base hit -- no matter what fans may think.

"If you do that, you're not going to have a great approach," Freeman said. "You're just going to lunge at everything just to put it into play. There are certain hitters like Tony Gwynn who can do that, but in today's game I'd say it's a little different, you just have to try to grind out an at-bat. Hitting a round ball with a round bat is the hardest thing to do, and asking yourself to place it somewhere, you just can't really do that. Even bunting the ball is really, really hard."

Mookie Betts, who hit .346 to win the AL batting title last season and is at .272 this season, said hitting .340 is definitely harder than hitting 40 home runs -- although not necessarily more impressive. "The pitchers are a lot better, but some guys have managed to hit a lot of home runs because they found something that worked for them. It's always a cat and mouse game, but .340 is pretty impressive, and so is 30 home runs at the All-Star break."

Maybe we need a pitcher's perspective on this. Gerrit Cole -- after a long pause to think through his answer -- started to say hitting .340, but then interrupted himself and said, "Forty home runs is a lot, though. Forty home runs. I could be wrong, though. I like Jose [Altuve]. I like that idea of spraying the ball around. I watch a lot of baseball for a living, about 130 games a year, and as much I love to see a home run, I love to see a double in the gap and then a guy go run after the ball, so you have a great defensive play and a great swing and great hit. That would be my preference, but 40 home runs is a lot of home runs."

Cody Bellinger is one hitter who can actually somewhat relate to this question because he's hitting .336 with 31 home runs. "I always felt like I could be an average guy, not to say I'm going to hit .340. It's just nice to see results. I don't which is harder. They're both pretty special."

Asked about hitting 40 home runs or .340, Arenado laughed. "I've hit 40 home runs before. I would love to hit .340; that would be so sweet," he said with smile. "But 40 homers looks pretty cool on a baseball card. I don't know, I'd probably say .340. Sleep way better at night knowing that you're getting hits all the time."

But what about, say, an Aaron Judge hitting 50 home runs or Gwynn hitting .370? Which is more impressive? "Tony Gwynn hitting .370, for sure," Bellinger said.

Bregman, not surprisingly, had a different answer to that question: "Look at the OPS."