The independent Atlantic League is so happy with "robot umpires" that it will continue using the system for the rest of the season, a source told ESPN's Buster Olney on Tuesday.

The league became the first American professional baseball league to let a computer call balls and strikes at its all-star game earlier this month. Plate umpire Brian deBrauwere wore an earpiece connected to an iPhone in his pocket and relayed the call upon receiving it from a TrackMan computer system that uses Doppler radar.

He crouched in his normal position behind the catcher and signaled balls and strikes.

After the successful test at the all-star game, the league started rolling out the technology to stadiums throughout the league.

The umpires have the ability to override the computer, which could consider a pitch a strike when the ball bounces and then crosses the zone. TrackMan also does not evaluate check swings.

The experiment with radar-tracking technology to call balls and strikes was originally expected to begin at the start of the season but experienced some delays.

Atlantic League president Rick White said at the all-star break that he feels his organization is on the cutting edge of a movement.

"We're very excited about what this portends not only for our league but for the future of baseball," he said. "What we know is technology can help umpires be more accurate, and we're committed to that. We think the Atlantic League is being a pioneer for all of the sport."

The Atlantic League has an agreement with Major League Baseball to test rules changes.

Other rules changes being tested:

• Batters can try to steal first base on any pitch that was not caught in flight. It expands the traditional dropped-third-strike rule to all pitches, and batters can be thrown out if they try to run.
• One foul bunt is allowed with two strikes before it becomes a strikeout.
• Pitchers are required to step off the rubber to try a pickoff.
• There is a relaxation on check swings to be more batter-friendly.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

There are many big decisions left to be made with only eight shopping days left until the 2019 MLB trade deadline. As your team tries to figure out if it is a buyer, seller or somewhere in between, we break down which stars could be on the move before July 31. Whether a starter, bullpen arm, position player or even just some general help is on the wish lift, these are the players who could fill a need for any interested party.

Jump to ... Starting pitchers | Bullpen help| Hitters for hire| The long shots

More deadline coverage: Rumors, tracker & more | Passan's preview | One player each team should trade for or deal away | What it's like to get traded

The starting pitcher market

1. Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians: This may be the biggest "What will they do?" situation this deadline. The Indians were 11 games back of the Twins in mid-June, but they have clawed back into the race despite the absences of Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. Bauer hasn't been as dominant as last season, but he might still rank as the best starting pitcher available due to his ability to chew up innings and put batters away. He's under team control through next season, making him more attractive than a one-year rental.

So why would the Indians trade him? They need offense and may get Kluber and Carrasco back to join Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger in what would still be a formidable rotation. Bauer will also likely get close to $20 million in arbitration next season -- a price tag that is too steep for the Indians (and could scare some teams from wanting him). Plus, there is the need for the Indians to keep churning talent to remain competitive into the future.

"I also think we're at a different point organizationally, like we were in the offseason, where a lot more of our guys are maturing on their contracts and so, regardless of our competitive position, you explore different things than you otherwise would have," Indians general manager Mike Chernoff told Zack Meisel of The Athletic last week. In other words: The Indians may look to be creative and that may mean trading Bauer.

2. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants: You know the story. The Giants were stumbling along in last place all season, and a Bumgarner trade seemed like a foregone conclusion. But they've been red hot in July and climbed into the back end of the wild-card race, so now a trade is less likely. Remember, the Giants can just keep Bumgarner and ride this season out and still receive draft-pick compensation if he signs elsewhere as a free agent.

Making Farhan Zaidi's decision even more difficult is that Bumgarner has been pitching so well that his trade value is much higher than it was a couple months ago. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is 4.84 compared to 2.53 in 2018 and he has a 1.55 ERA over his past five starts. Any team would love to have Bumgarner and his big-game reputation on the mound in October.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last week that the Astros, Twins, Phillies and Brewers are the most likely trade partners in a Bumgarner deal.

3. Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays: Like Bauer, Stroman is an enticing trade target because he's not a free agent until after the 2020 season. Passan recently reported that "multiple GMs expect Stroman to be dealt." Stroman is also attractive because he keeps the ball on the ground -- he has the second-highest ground ball rate among qualified starters -- which has helped him limit home runs. With the Blue Jays spinning in the mud for the foreseeable, they'll look to continue to add more young talent.

4. Mike Minor, Texas Rangers: Minor signed a three-year, $28 million contract that goes through next season, but Minor is unhappy with all the trade rumors. "I feel like ever since I signed it's been a topic," he told reporters last week. "It's almost like I signed just so they could trade me." The 2019 All-Star is having the best season of his career and owns a 5.9 WAR that already ranks as one of the five best seasons by a Rangers starter in franchise history. GM Jon Daniels has said the Rangers "probably" won't trade Minor, but also added that "we're not going to rule anything out."

5. Tanner Roark, Cincinnati Reds: Roark has been pretty solid in a tough park to pitch in, and he's a pending free agent. He's not a front-of-the-line starter and wouldn't bring back a top prospect, so the Reds may decide to just ride things out unless they completely tank in the final week before the deadline.

6. Zack Wheeler, New York Mets: Another free agent-to-be, Wheeler looked like a lock to be traded until landing on the IL with shoulder fatigue. Passan wrote that the IL stint "more or less destroys his trade value." An MRI revealed no structural damage and he might even make it back for a start before July 31. Wheeler has the stuff to pull out Eovaldi-like results -- if he's healthy -- so somebody may still take a chance on him.

7. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners: He's strictly a back-end innings eater who throws strikes, but he has alternated some very good outings with some awful ones much of the season. Getting away from the terrible Seattle defense could help, and the Mariners would have to eat a big chunk of his salary to get even a Grade C prospect in return.

8. Trevor Richards, Miami Marlins: Of the 136 pitchers who have thrown 60 innings, Richards is basically middle of the pack in wOBA, in line with starters such as Zach Davies and Miles Mikolas. So he's better than you probably think. He's also easy on the payroll since this is his first full season in the majors. That's valuable to the Marlins, but they need some young hitters, so they might be willing to trade one of the young pitchers.

Looking for bullpen help?

9. Kirby Yates, San Diego Padres: If the Padres decide to trade Yates, they'll be able to extract maximum value for a pitcher they claimed on waivers from the Angels back in 2017. (To be fair, the Yankees also cut Yates and the Yankees purchased him from the Indians and the Indians purchased him from the Rays, so four organizations gave up on Yates.) He has been the best closer in baseball with an ERA barely above 1.00 thanks to a wipeout splitter, he doesn't give up home runs, and he's controlled through next season.

10-11. Will Smith and Sam Dyson, Giants: Smith has been one of the best lefty relievers the past couple of seasons, pitching better than ever after missing all of 2017 with Tommy John surgery. He gets righties and lefties out, so he fits in as either a closer or set-up guy. He'll be a free agent, so he's just a rental piece.

Dyson's career appeared in jeopardy back in early 2017 when he started the season with the Rangers with six losses and a 10.80 ERA in 17 appearances. They traded him to the Giants, and now he's having his best season as he's back to throwing more strikes with a high ground ball rate. He's arbitration-eligible for another year.

If the Giants stay hot until the deadline, they could also keep Bumgarner and deal from their bullpen depth (Tony Watson, Mark Melancon and Reyes Moronta are also potential trade chips) for immediate help rather than prospects. "This entire season for us has never been a throwaway season or rebuilding season," Zaidi said last week on KNBR-680. "Not every trade that's made leading up to the trade deadline is a pure buy-or-sell deal. Sometimes it's a need-for-need deal. That might be the direction that we go."

12. Shane Greene, Detroit Tigers: With so many teams in need of bullpen help, it makes sense for the rebuilding Tigers to trade Greene now with his value so high. He is under team control for another season, but if you can get a couple decent prospects based on the best 35 innings of Greene's career, you need to cash in.

13. Ken Giles, Blue Jays: The last you might remember of Giles is the 2017 playoffs, when he suddenly couldn't throw his slider for strikes, gave up 10 runs in 7⅔ innings and lost his job as the Astros' closer midway through the postseason. Well, the slider is back and Giles has been terrific with the second-highest strikeout rate among relievers (behind only Josh Hader). Of course, closing for a bad Blue Jays team isn't the same thing as pitching in October. Would you trust him in a big situation?

14. Alex Colomé, Chicago White Sox: Yet another closer who might be available. A lot of contenders could use one. Colomé isn't flashy, but he has a 2.71 ERA since 2016. He's not an elite strikeout guy, and his actual wOBA allowed is about 100 points below his expected wOBA based on contact allowed, so there may be some buyer-beware issues here.

15. Ian Kennedy, Kansas City Royals: After a decade as a starter, Kennedy has been a revelation in his first year in the bullpen. The advanced metrics in particular are big on the way he's pitched, as he ranks high in exit velocity allowed and expected wOBA.

16. Mychal Givens, Baltimore Orioles: Have we mentioned that many teams are desperate for bullpen help? Givens has allowed too many home runs, but six of the eight he has served up have come in Camden Yards. A change of scenery could help in that area as otherwise he has been good, riding his mid-90s fastball/slider combo to the best strikeout rate of his career. "He's pitching like he wants out of there," a scout told ESPN's Eddie Matz. Can you blame him?

17. Roenis Elias, Mariners: He's a lefty with a big reverse platoon split and some recent home run issues, but you know Jerry Dipoto won't be sitting around knitting and doing the New York Times crossword on deadline day.

If you need a bat ...

18-19. David Peralta and Adam Jones, Arizona Diamondbacks: Both veteran outfielders have been mentioned in trade rumors. Peralta is better and under team control through 2020, but he's also currently on the injured list with right shoulder soreness. Jones got off to a hot start with 11 home runs through May, but he has struggled of late and is more of a bench bat for a contender.

20. Nicholas Castellanos, Tigers: He leads the American League in doubles and crushes lefties, but his best position is DH so that will limit interest in him. The Tigers tried to trade him in the offseason without any success, and even Castellanos admitted he wouldn't be surprised if he's not traded.

21. Eric Sogard, Blue Jays: Here's an under-the-radar trade candidate who could make a big impact in October, similar to Marco Scutaro of the Giants in 2012 or Steve Pearce last season with the Red Sox. Sogard has hit very well with a 128 OPS+ while starting games at five different positions. He's best at second base, but his ability to play shortstop or fill in in the outfield makes him a valuable trade piece.

22. Pablo Sandoval, Giants: Another guy who seemed dead in the water a couple years ago, but Sandoval is slugging over .500, no easy feat in Oracle Park. He's a platoon bat, but he can play third and first and his .344 career average in the postseason could draw some interest if the Giants decide to bail on 2019.

23. Todd Frazier, Mets: Not much trade value here, but he can hit lefties and he's still solid at third base. With J.D. Davis, there's no reason for the Mets to keep Frazier so he can be had for a low-grade prospect by a team in need of a righty bat off the bench.

24. Scooter Gennett, Reds: The 2018 All-Star has missed most of the season due to a groin injury suffered in spring training and hasn't hit since returning in late June. He hit .310 with 23 home runs last season. Most of the contenders appear set at second base, but maybe the A's or Giants take a chance.

Long shots

25. Noah Syndergaard, Mets: Passan reports that the Mets are taking calls on Syndergaard, but it still feels unlikely that Brodie Van Wagenen will trade Thor, who is still under team control through 2021. Trading Syndergaard would essentially mean committing to a rebuild. Are the Mets willing to do that? Plus, Syndergaard's trade value right now isn't sky high given his 4.55 ERA, and the Mets are one hot stretch away from being back in the wild-card race.

26. Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks: Greinke eats up 28% of the Diamondbacks' payroll, which is why he has been in trade rumors for a couple years now. But he's also owed about $83 million in salary through 2021, which limits his trade value (unless the Diamondbacks eat salary). He also has a no-trade clause with 15 teams -- including the Phillies, one of the teams most interested in Greinke.

27. Robbie Ray, Diamondbacks: If not Greinke, maybe the Diamondbacks trade Ray. The hard-throwing lefty is always on the brink of stardom, if he could just cut down on the walks. He racks up the K's, but he's so inefficient that he has gone more than six innings just once all season. Still, power lefties like this are hard to find. He's under control for another season, and it would be interesting to see if a different team could extract better results out of him -- such as the Yankees, who reportedly have interest.

28. Matthew Boyd, Tigers: Boyd's breakout season has him fourth in the majors in strikeout rate among starting pitchers -- behind Gerrit Cole, Chris Sale and Max Scherzer, thank you very much -- and the Tigers are rightfully asking for a ransom in return, as they should, since he's under control through 2022.

29. Felipe Vazquez, Pirates: The two-time All-Star closer is one of the best in the business and will make just $33.5 million from 2020 through 2023. That makes his trade value enormously high as the Pirates will demand at least a couple premium prospects in return. Would the Dodgers be willing to pay that price to solve some of their bullpen issues?

30-31. Franmil Reyes or Hunter Renfroe, Padres: The Padres have a logjam in the corner outfield positions with these two sluggers, plus Wil Myers and Josh Naylor. Except Myers hasn't really been good, and Naylor is really a first baseman. The farm system is loaded, but the top two outfield prospects are hitting .201 and .229 this season. Reyes and Renfroe are also low OBP sluggers and Reyes has limited range in the field. The Padres would like to add a controllable starting pitcher -- think Bauer or Syndergaard -- but the Mets don't need a corner outfielder and they'll need to offer more than Reyes or Renfroe to land Bauer.

The conclusion of the Women's Ashes Test in Taunton has raised the question whether the format should be played across five days, after a combination of rain and stodgy scoring rates stymied the contest.

Australia batted out the final day of the one-off match, securing the draw they needed to retain the multi-format Ashes, with the coach Matthew Mott saying they had considered ways of making a match of it but weren't going to donate England a chance of victory.

Australia had dominated the Test from the start. And once they batted for the first four sessions and rain wiped out the rest of day two, England's chances were all but gone of fighting back for a win even before they took a defensive approach with the bat late on the third day. England did declare after saving the follow-on and made a couple of early inroads in Australia's second innings, but the visitors were never in danger.

"Maybe it's an advertisement for five-day Test in women's cricket," Mott said. "With four [days] and you take half a day out, it certainly wasn't enough. It would have been an awesome [fifth] day if we'd had the extra day.

"We're not a charity, we don't give up a result that easily. We've won the first three ODIs and we deserve the opportunity to bat it out. We weren't prepared to roll that dice and give England a chance when they didn't really earn the right to it."

There were 100 overs scheduled for each day of the Test. So, without weather interruptions, there would have been 400 overs available in the game compared to 450 across a five-day Test consisting of 90-over days.

"[A fifth day] would've helped get a result," Meg Lanning, Australia's captain, said. "It probably wouldn't have been a drab day if we had a day five but we both knew it was four days coming in. It's not a decision for us to make but I guess it's something to look at."

However, England coach Mark Robinson suggested that the first priority for the Test format in the women's game was to get more matches played before thinking about extending the length of them. This decade there have been just eight Tests with six of them being England-Australia matches.

"You've got to try and get more Tests, and more countries playing Test match cricket," Robinson said. "I think we all would agree it would help the development of the players.

"The young Aussie [Tayla Vlaeminck] what a promising quick, but at the moment she hasn't got control - if that's a 50-over game she has wides - but the beauty of this is it allows her to run in, how exciting is that? Games allow quicks to run in, it allows batters to bat time, build innings, be tactically better.

"It would help not just our team, but all teams around the world, the development of their players before we get to saying we should be playing five days in England-Australia [Tests]."

GERMANTOWN, Tenn. – Sammy Swindell has locked down a ride for the 29th annual My Place Hotels 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank.

Swindell is teaming up with Terry Steward and Scott Brown during the marquee event at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, Aug. 1-3. Swindell’s preliminary night is currently scheduled for Aug. 1.

“They have been in racing for a long time,” he said. “Gary Wright drove for them for quite a few years. I’ve known the guys for quite a while. They let me borrow a motor for the first two 360 Nationals I raced and then I had it when I won the Short Track Nationals with the Big Game car in 2013.”

The team will invade Knoxville Raceway this Saturday to compete in the 360 division as a tune-up prior to the 360 Knoxville Nationals.

“Little things are different and you have to get the breaks during the night,” said Swindell, who has two career starts with the team that both occurred in November 2017. “I know we’ll have a competitive car. Doing it this way where we have a weekend up there before the 360 Nationals will be good.”

Swindell won the 360 Knoxville Nationals in 2016, making him only the second driver to win both the 360 and 410 Knoxville Nationals.

He has five top-five finishes during the event, which ranks tied for sixth.

Swindell is also scheduled to compete for his son, Kevin Swindell, and Swindell SpeedLab during the 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals.

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane said on Monday he had not "disrespected" Gareth Bale and it was the club who wanted to sell the Welsh forward, not him personally.

Bale did not play for Real in their 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the International Champions Cup on Saturday, with Zidane revealing his absence was due to the club "working on his departure."

- Source: Bale could go to China on a free transfer
- Darke: Bale's time at Madrid is done, but where can he go?

Bale's agent labelled Zidane a "disgrace" but the Frenchman defended his conduct ahead of Real Madrid's pre-season clash with Arsenal in Washington, D.C.

"At times my Spanish is very suspect," Zidane told reporters. "I want to be very clear about this. Firstly, I have not disrespected anybody and least of all the player.

"I have always said the same, the players are the most important and every time I am with a player here I will be with them always.

"Second thing, I said the club is trying to sell him. Third point, I think it is very important and crucial to say that the other day Gareth did not [play] because he did not want to.

"He will train with us today. He will train with the squad today but tomorrow is tomorrow.

"Gareth is a Real Madrid player. That is the most important thing, he is a player for the squad."

Bale, 30, has won four Champions League titles since joining Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then world record €100 million (£89.77 million) but he struggled to hold down his place in the starting side last season.

On Tuesday, the latest attempt to stoke the MLS/Liga MX rivalry will take place with the inaugural matches in the Leagues Cup. In each of the four games, an MLS side will go up against a Liga MX counterpart, with the winners progressing to the semifinals to be held on Aug. 20 (All games will be available on ESPN networks or ESPN+). The final will take place in Las Vegas a month later.

Frankly, it's difficult to take the budding competition seriously, at least in this initial go-round. The timing, in the midst of the MLS season and at the very beginning of the new Liga MX campaign, is curious. The choice of MLS sides -- the LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire -- looks entirely random as well, though qualification for next year's tournament is more concrete. The concept has also been tried before with a tournament called the SuperLiga that ran from 2007-10, one that was abandoned amid expansion of the CONCACAF Champions League.

There's also the fact that the games are being crammed into a time of year when fixture congestion is already an issue for MLS teams and the weather is borderline scorching in many of the league's cities. MLS participants like Houston and RSL are fighting for their playoff lives. For a team like RSL, the playoff six-pointer next weekend at FC Dallas will take far greater priority than Tuesday's game against Liga MX powerhouse and reigning 2019 Clausura champions UANL Tigres.

- Report: Leagues Cup expanding to 16 teams in 2020
- Marshall: Best case, worst case scenario for Liga MX teams
- Corsello: Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn't dream. He is the dream

Then there's the overwhelming fact that competitive matches between Liga MX and MLS clubs strain the definition of the word "rivalry." MLS has long been trying to gain the attention of its older and more well-established sibling, with little success. According to ESPN Stats & Information, starting with the 2012-13 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League, there have been 54 games between MLS and Liga MX sides: Liga MX won 28 times, 12 matches resulted in draws and MLS won the remaining 14. Only three times in the current decade has an MLS team so much as reached the CCL final, losing every time against Liga MX opposition.

While Toronto FC did come agonizingly close in 2018, falling to Chivas de Guadalajara on penalties, the 2019 edition of the tournament was a step backward. In five matchups between MLS and Liga MX, only Sporting Kansas City managed to prevail in its round of 16 matchup against Toluca. SKC was later humbled in the semifinals 10-2 on aggregate by Monterrey.

So why will this competition be any different? And while there is consensus that MLS is closing the still sizable gap on Liga MX clubs, what needs to happen to close it further?

Seattle Sounders FC GM Garth Lagerwey is among those taking more of a long-term view about the tournament. Such a competition will provide the players who participate in it with the opportunity to play against a higher standard of competition. It's also a chance for people who are already fans of the sport to see what MLS teams have to offer.

"It adds to the credibility of our league if you can beat Mexican teams," he said. "If, in fact, these games will be scheduled in a more favorable period of the year, hopefully you win more of them and you add respect to the league. If we can get the folks who watch Liga MX to watch MLS more regularly, that's just basic math. That would lead to better ratings and will hopefully generate more revenue for our franchises."

Not everyone is on board. The tournament's arrival has been met with a shake of the head by the MLS Players Association. MLSPA executive director Bob Foose noted that a bonus structure for players taking part in the tournament has yet to be agreed, and there are practical concerns as well.

"On the one hand, we understand and support the desire to build new properties that get attention and have value," said MLSPA executive director Bob Foose. "That's good for us. Competition between our clubs and Mexican clubs obviously is something that we need over time on a serious level to continue to build the sport. On the other hand, the league and the owners haven't done what they need to do about schedule congestion, travel conditions, or about carefully planning and thinking through what they do."

Does MLS have an edge this time around?

The timing of the new tournament does provide MLS teams with some advantages. The time of year for the CCL, basically at the start of the MLS season in late winter and early spring, does MLS teams no favors. By comparison, Liga MX sides are about 8-10 games into the second half of their league calendar.

"It's very difficult from a physical perspective and a mental perspective when players have to be up and ready to play in that competition and we haven't even played a game in MLS yet," said SKC manager Peter Vermes. "We're already in a must-win competition."

The opposite will be true in the Leagues Cup, with MLS teams deep into their season as their Liga MX counterparts are just starting out. The fact that all of the games will be held on U.S. soil will help as well.

Such factors will not minimize the significant structural differences between Liga MX teams and those in MLS. The largest is what the teams spend on their respective players and how that impacts roster depth. Lagerwey estimates that on average, Liga MX sides spend double that of their MLS counterparts. The data accumulated by the web site Transfermarkt is a bit more favorable to MLS, with the average market value of players on Liga MX team coming out to $42.7 million while the average for players on MLS teams checks in at $26.7m. This still represents a sizable gap, connected to the financial constraints MLS places on itself when it comes to salary caps and the rules about how money can be spent.

"I wish we could spend here what they spend in Mexico," said LA Galaxy GM Dennis te Klose, who previously served as the director of national teams for the Mexico Football Federation. "I think if you look at the Champions League games, which I think is a good measure, if you have a few guys out, and there are some injuries, or there are a few things that go a little bit on the downside for the MLS clubs, I think there is more depth and there are more quality players available for the Mexican teams to replace or come up with tactical variations or in different spots."

Leagues Cup fixtures:
- Chicago Fire vs. Cruz Azul, 7/23, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
- LA Galaxy vs. Club Tijuana, 7/23, 11 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Houston Dynamo vs. Club America, 7/24, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
- Real Salt Lake vs. Tigres, 7/24, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

All of this points to a need for MLS to further loosen the purse strings if it is to really compete with Liga MX clubs. That will no doubt be a part of the upcoming CBA negotiations between the MLSPA and MLS. But Foose also feels steps can made even before such discussions begin, especially as it relates to the level of influence the MLS league office has on how money is spent.

"In our system, we're only constructing a roster one way, which is the way that MLS has dictated that you do it," he said. "The Mexican clubs have the freedom to construct their roster in the way that they think makes the most competitive sense. They can have a roster where the highest-paid player makes twice what the 20th-highest paid player makes. The way we do it is more like 20 times higher. I for one would like to see what our teams could do with the freedom to spend the money the way they want to spend it in order to be competitive.

"I think we're past the point where there's any benefit -- that's if there ever was any benefit -- of having centralized planning like that."

An upside for young players

There is more to closing the gap than just importing players from the top down and increasing spending. There needs to be an emphasis on developing players from the ground up as well.

Te Klose praised MLS's increased focus on youth academies as well as the continued recruitment of young international players from abroad. This needs to continue and Efrain Alvarez, the 17-year-old Galaxy academy product, looks to be a player who could benefit from a competition like the Leagues Cup. However, te Klose notes that Mexico has also been making this a point of emphasis. MLS is still playing catch-up, though te Klose wouldn't go so far as to say MLS should emulate Liga MX in mandating that teams give a certain number of minutes to youth players.

"You can't copy and paste things that are very productive or successful somewhere else," he said. "You need to understand what your needs and your market are, and what your idea or philosophy is locally, and then maybe you can take advantage of certain things that have worked outside.

"I'm not sure if on every team [mandating minutes] would be positively welcomed, that you need to play young players."

The extent to which a tournament like the Leagues Cup can be a puzzle piece in terms of MLS teams catching up to Mexico is still to be determined. Interest in the SuperLiga waned to a degree, with crowds routinely failing to crack 10,000 in the last two years it was held. Yet there is cautious optimism that the Leagues Cup will help lift the collective boat of MLS.

"I have no doubt there's short-term pain with fixture congestion, squad rotation, things like that," said Lagerwey. "But if you want to get where you want to go, this [tournament] is potentially a step in the right direction."

Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard have been recalled to the West Indies T20I squad for the opening two matches against India, with uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman Anthony Bramble also earning a call-up.

Allrounder Andre Russell has been included subject to passing a fitness test following the knee injury which forced him out of the World Cup. John Campbell, the opening batsman, takes the spot vacated by Chris Gayle who is unavailable due to playing in the Canada GT20.

Narine, who last played T20Is nearly two years ago, is joined in the spin attack by left-armer Khary Pierre. Narine was in the frame to be part of the World Cup, but did not feel confident getting through 50-over cricket after a finger injury. The selectors are casting their eye forward to next year's men's T20 World Cup in Australia where West Indies will defend their title.

"We felt that players like Narine and Pollard, who have played well in T20 leagues around the world, once they are fit and mentally ready to play, we must give them the opportunity to represent the West Indies again," Robert Haynes, the intern chairman of selection, said.

"It's not just about the present - the India tour of the West Indies - but we are also looking at the T20 World Cup coming up next year and it is important that we find the right combination of players and the right formula for defending our title.

"We have to make sure that we put certain things in place now, so that when it comes to picking the squad for the T20 World Cup, it becomes easier, so we are giving more players the opportunity to play and get the exposure."

Bramble, 28, will provide wicketkeeping back-up to Nicholas Pooran despite not having played an official T20 in close to three years. He did, however, captain West Indies B at last year's Canada GLT20 and was picked up by Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL draft in May.

"He is young and has a lot of ambition, and we saw his character come out in the way he batted whenever Guyana Jaguars were in problems in the West Indies Championship and Super50 Cup, so we know he is capable of getting the job done," Haynes said.

The selectors could make changes to the squad for third T20I in Guyana. India's tour also includes three ODIs and two Tests.

Squad Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Anthony Bramble (wk), John Campbell, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas

Lasith Malinga is set to retire from ODIs after the first game of the upcoming three-match series against Bangladesh. This will give Sri Lanka a chance to identify their next line of wicket-taking bowlers, which will be their "biggest problem" going forward, according to captain Dimuth Karunaratne.

"Our biggest problem is identifying wicket-taking bowlers in the months ahead, we need to find bowlers that can take wickets in the early overs, as well as the middle overs," Karunaratne said, when asked what the team's immediate plans were post World Cup.

"In the series ahead we will be giving chances whenever we can to identify that talent, because we know Lasith Malinga is not available after this series. Lasith is only going to play the first match and then he's retiring. That's what he's told me at least."

Karunaratne, who is a known stat buff, will have been likely well aware of his team's impotency in terms of wicket-taking when making his observations. At the World Cup, Malinga's 13 wickets at 28.69 in seven matches were more than twice that of the next best Sri Lankan bowler, Isuru Udana, who picked up six in the same number of games. Nuwan Pradeep, who picked up five in three games, is a possible contender to take over the mantle, but injuries have been a frequent hindrance for him.

As such, Karunaratne knows the only lasting solution is to plan well in advance, with his thoughts already turning towards building for the 2023 World Cup.

ALSO READ: Niroshan Dickwella, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan recalled for Bangladesh ODIs

"We also need to groom some youngsters for the next World Cup as well," Karunaratne said. "Yes, there's plenty of time, but we need to groom them one at a time and that takes time. Of course, we can't fix everything at once, but we have four years before the next World Cup so we need to see how we can groom our youngsters and pass on the experience of our senior players to them.

"We've been looking to give Shehan Jayasuriya a chance after his performances against India A, and Lahiru Madushanka who performed well against South Africa [for the Emerging Team]. Those are some of the players we have in mind, but of course we can't give everyone a chance just yet."

Following a World Cup campaign in which Bangladesh both impressed and disappointed, they will also be looking to test their fringe players. For them it's a temporary glimpse; Shakib Al Hasan - the unofficial player of the World Cup - is away on Haj pilgrimage, Liton Das is getting married, and captain Mashrafe Mortaza and Mohammad Saifuddin are injured. That's four World Cup starters out, and a chance for some fringe players to shine.

ALSO READ: Mashrafe Mortaza out of Sri Lanka tour with hamstring injury, Tamim Iqbal to lead

"The guys who have been picked in the squad are all very capable. I really don't like to talk about players who aren't here at the moment," stand-in captain Tamim Iqbal said, when questioned about Bangaldesh's plans for replacing Shakib. "I know he's a special player and has done fantastically well for Bangladesh, but he's not part of this tour so let's not talk about him. There are other 15 players and they all are very, very capable, and whoever plays in the first ODI, I'm sure they're ready to cash in on their opportunity."

Tamim, however, doesn't have as many concerns as Karunaratne. Bangladesh travelled with a well-settled squad for the World Cup, and at another time would have likely travelled to Sri Lanka at full strength and probably as favourites. But as things stand, Tamim was keen to focus on the players at his disposal, and helping his side take the step up from simply playing well to winning games consistently.

"I think we had a pretty decent World Cup, there were a few games we should have won. If you see the points table you'd think we had a very bad World Cup because we finished only eighth in the table, and we as cricketers know we could have done more. On the whole though we played some good cricket, but we know that in the end it's winning games that is important."

Houston Astros rookie slugger Yordan Alvarez homered and knocked in a pair of runs Monday night in an 11-1 win over the Oakland A's, making him the first player to have 35 RBIs in his first 30 career games since runs batted in became an official statistic in 1920.

Alvarez, 22, passed Albert Pujols, who had 34 in his first 30 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001.

"I was very happy and very grateful (about the record), something I just found out about when I got here to the clubhouse," Alvarez said through an interpreter.

"Especially with (Pujols), it's an honor and a privilege. When we were in Anaheim, I spoke with him and he gave me a lot of advice, a lot of information to help me out."

The left-handed slugger from Cuba is now hitting .342 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs since making his major league debut with the Astros on June 9. At the time, he was tearing up the Pacific Coast League with 23 home runs and 71 RBIs in 56 games.

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow took to Twitter to laud Alvarez.

Cuban power!!! Yordan, Yuli, Aledmys! ??

— Jeff Luhnow (@jluhnow) July 23, 2019

Alvarez was one of three Cuban-born Astros players -- along with Yuli Gurriel and Aledmys Diaz -- to homer in the 11-1 trouncing of the A's Monday night. That had only happened once before in MLB history, when Jose Abreu, Alexei Ramírez and Dayan Viciedo did it for the White Sox in 2014.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox have become the first team in the major leagues to extend protective netting from foul pole to foul pole, starting Monday night against the Miami Marlins.

The extra netting at Guaranteed Rate Field was in place for Chicago's first home game since the All-Star break. The White Sox announced the safety measure last month, a week after a foul ball at the park sent a woman to the hospital with her head bleeding.

On Sunday in Cleveland, another fan was hurt by a foul. Indians star Francisco Lindor said he was told his line drive put a 3-year-old boy in the hospital.

"It's a great idea," White Sox pitcher Evan Marshall said. "It's a shame it wasn't done sooner and just almost a standard across baseball, I think. Finally the players are speaking out because everybody is tired of seeing people get hit.

"It just sucks the air right out of the game and we see it happen. It's hard to move on to the next pitch or do whatever because somebody's going to the emergency room," he said.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria agreed.

"I think they did a nice job ... It looks like there is no inhibiting factors in terms of seeing things but it should obviously keep high velocity screamers and some bats from going into the stands and causing injury," Renteria said.

Several fans, including a 2-year-old girl in Houston, have been injured by hard-hit fouls this season. Many players and fans have implored Major League Baseball to require pole-to-pole netting covering foul territory at every ballpark.

The new netting in Chicago will be 30 feet high above the dugouts and reach a maximum height of 45 feet down the lines.

As for ground rules, the nets will be treated like walls -- as in, a ball that bounces or is thrown into the netting remains in play.

White Sox rookie star Eloy Jimenez hit the foul last month that injured the woman.

"It's really good because now the fans are going to be more safe," he said. "Especially because line drive foul balls, most of the time they're super hard. I think it's going to be safe for the fans."

White Sox star Tim Anderson agreed that it's good for the safety of the fans, but did express some concern that it would limit players' ability to sign autographs.

The Washington Nationals were among other teams to announce this season they would extend their netting. It was in place at Nationals Park on Monday when the game against Colorado was rained out.

Commissioner Rob Manfred recently said extending protective netting down foul lines is a ballpark-to-ballpark decision because of differing configurations.

MLB recommended in Dec. 2015 that teams extend protective netting. That move resulted in all clubs extending netting to at least the near ends of dugouts by 2016. After a toddler was struck by a line drive at a Twins-Yankees game in New York in Sept. 2017, all teams had netting in place to at least the far ends of dugouts for the start of the 2018 season.

As the crowd entered the park for the Marlins-White Sox game, there were varying views of the new netting.

A fan named Michael, who declined to provide his last name, brought his 8-year-old son. They sat two rows off the field, two sections down from the White Sox dugout on the third base side.

"Tough call, safety versus pleasure," he said. "I would take safety. Now for sure you won't get hit; before you probably had to pay more attention. But the balls were coming off pretty hard, so anyone who's just not [paying attention] would get hurt.

"There's definitely an impediment with the net," he said. "It definitely changes the experience. It's not the same as before, getting balls, seeing through the net. It's not the same, but I'm sure people will get used to it."

Maybe not, said Missi Cundari, who brought 10-year-old son Dean. They had the same seats for a game earlier this season, three sections past third base dugout, a couple rows back.

She wasn't happy.

"The view and also the ball boys would throw us balls and the players would come up and chat. This is terrible," she said. "We never felt unsafe. The balls that were hit over here were groundballs.

"Honestly, looking at this makes me dizzy. This is terrible. Luckily these seats were not expensive."

White Sox manager Rick Renteria applauded the extra netting at his home park and said he doesn't believe the nets will get in the way of the fans' enjoyment.

"I think every organization will continue to do everything they can to allow the fans to get the experience in terms of the human connection," he said. "You can still see people through the netting, it's not like a wall, a blocked off wall.

"I'm sure fans will find a way to still get items through to get signed autographs and things of that nature. You'll still be able to have physical contact if you truly want to touch somebody, it's still possible," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.