Major League Baseball plans to use its robot umpire technology for ball-strike challenges in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Atlanta, another step toward possible regular-season use next season.

Teams won 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges during the spring training test, with 617 of 1,182 challenges successful in the 288 exhibition games using the Automated Ball-Strike System. ABS was installed at 13 spring training ballparks hosting 19 teams, and an animation of the pitch was shown on video boards displaying the challenge result for spectators to see.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said last month that the ABS system was likely to be considered for regular-season use by the 11-man competition committee, which includes six management representatives.

“I do think that we’re going to pursue the possibility of change in that process and we’ll see what comes out at the end of that,” he said. “The teams are really positive about ABS. I do have that unscientific system that I use: my email traffic. And my distinct impression is that using ABS in spring training has made people more prone to complain of balls and strike calls via email to me referencing the need for ABS.”

During the 2024 regular season, 10.9% of called pitches in the strike zone were ruled balls and 6.3% of called pitches outside of the strike zone were ruled strikes, according to MLB Statcast.

MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019.

YANKS CUT LEMAHIEU

The New York Yankees designated two-time batting champion DJ LeMahieu for assignment, one day after manager Aaron Boone had said the aging infielder with a diminished defensive range would primarily be used off the bench.

The Yankees owe LeMahieu about $22 million on the remainder of a six-year deal that ran through the 2026 season.

LeMahieu, who turns 37 on Sunday and has dealt with a variety of toe, foot and hip injuries, was hitting .266 with two homers, 12 RBIs and a .674 OPS this season. He won his first batting title in 2016 with Colorado and his second with New York in 2020, when he hit .364 with 10 homers and 27 RBIs in 50 games during the pandemic-shortened season.

The decision to designate him for assignment comes after Boone announced that All-Star infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. would move back to second base, where LeMahieu had made all 35 of his starts this season. Boone acknowledged that Chisholm, who has been hampered by a sore shoulder, had been struggling with making the longer throws from third base.