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.”

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.

REPLACEMENTS

Detroit’s Zach McKinstry was picked to replace Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña, who has been dealing with a rib injury, in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. The infielder-outfielder will join Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres and outfielders Javier Báez and Riley Greene — all AL starters — and staff ace Tarik Skubal.

Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Megill was added to the NL All-Star team. He earned his first career All-Star selection by going 2-2 with a 2.41 ERA, 21 saves and 43 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.

Houston third baseman Isaac Paredes will replace the Guardians’ José Ramírez, who had been the starting third baseman. That gives the Astros four All-Stars in Peña and pitchers Hunter Brown and Josh Hader.

The Guardians said Ramírez wanted “to focus on recovery and preparation for the second half of the season.”

The five All-Stars for Detroit is tied for the most with the World Series champion Dodgers, who have DH Shohei Ohtani, catcher Will Smith and first baseman Freddie Freeman starting for the NL along with pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Yamamoto is scheduled to start Sunday for the Dodgers, so Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott has been picked to replace him.

An other substitution is Rays third baseman Junior Caminero for Boston’s Alex Bregman, who has been dealing with a strained right quadriceps.

YANKS CUT LEMAHIEU

The New York Yankees have 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, who owe LeMahieu about $22 million on the remainder of a six-year deal that ran through the 2026 season, made the announcement on Wednesday.

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 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.

JAYS’ STREAK halted

Adrian Houser tossed seven solid innings, and the Chicago White Sox stopped visiting Toronto’s 10-game winning streak, beating the Blue Jays 2-1 on Wednesday.

Houser (5-2) won his third straight start. Edgar Quero hit an RBI double and scored in a two-run fourth against Toronto starter Eric Lauer (4-2), and Chicago stopped the Blue Jays one win shy of their franchise record. Toronto has won 11 straight five times, most recently in August 2015.

Houser, who gave up one run and seven hits, has a 1.56 ERA through nine starts. The right-hander has allowed two earned runs in 26 innings over four outings at Rate Field.