Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and players’ union head Tony Clark say plans are moving ahead exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a tournament that could be played on an extended All-Star break.

“I think it is a opportunity to market the game on a really global stage,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “Obviously the clubs are going to have to endorse this. I mean, it’s a big deal.”

MLB met with Los Angeles organizers Monday in Atlanta ahead of the All-Star Game and Manfred said the Olympic officials were meeting with the Major League Baseball Players Association.

“There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done,” Clark told the BBWAA in a separate session. “We do know players are interested in playing, whether it’s for the Team USA or any number of other teams around the world.”

The World Baseball Softball Confederation said Monday the baseball tournament will be played from July 15-20 at Dodger Stadium. MLB is considering whether it can interrupt its 2028 season to allow major leaguers to participate, which could necessitate changes to the sport’s national television contracts.

“They put out a schedule. They tell you it’s not going to move. We’ll see whether there’s any movement on that,” Manfred said. “It is possible to take it, to play the All-Star Game in its normal spot, have a single break that would be longer, obviously, but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November. That is possible, OK? It would require significant accommodations, but it’s possible.”

MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U.S. 2-0 in the gold medal game.

Derby ratings up

Big Dumper helped drive a big boost to ratings for Monday night’s Home Run Derby.

ESPN said Tuesday that viewership for Cal Raleigh’s Home Run Derby victory was up 5% from 2024, according to Nielsen ratings. Raleigh’s win over fellow finalist Junior Caminero of Tampa Bay drew an average audience of 5,729,000 viewers, up from 5,451,000 viewers in 2024 when Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández topped Bobby Witt Jr. in the finals.

ESPN says the combined audience on ESPN and ESPN2 peaked with 6,307,000 viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET. That made the Home Run Derby one of the most-watched programs of the day.

Roberts’ ‘easy answer’

National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts said including Milwaukee rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on his team was “an easy answer” despite complaints from some players over his inclusion after just five big league appearances.

“If it brings excitement, attention to our game, then I’m all about it,” Roberts said before Monday’s Home Run Derby.

Misiorowski has pitched in only five games, a record low for an All-Star, creating a debate between those who say the game is for the most deserving players and those who say the game is for the fans.

Licensing investigated

Baseball players’ association head Tony Clark acknowledged a federal investigation into One Team Partners, a licensing company it founded with the NFL Players Association.

“We understand that there is an investigation going on right now and we have and we will continue to fully cooperate with that investigation,” Clark told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday.

The government has not commented on its probe.

OneTeam says on its website that it’s “the first multi-billion-dollar company built for athletes, by athletes.” It helps license player rights for sponsorships, media content, video games and more.