Egypt forward Mohamed Salah scored his first goal of this year's Africa Cup of Nations to help the hosts to a 2-0 win over Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday which guaranteed them a place in the round of 16.

Ahmed Elmohamady broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, turning the ball in following a corner, before Salah netted a clinically-taken goal two minutes before half-time, sparking delirious celebrations at the Cairo International Stadium.

The result was harsh on the Congolese who twice hit the crossbar in the first half and spent most of the second on the attack in the Egyptian half.

- Africa Cup of Nations: All you need to know
- Full Africa Cup of Nations fixtures schedule

Egypt, with six points from two games, guaranteed a top-two finish in Group A while Congo, who have no points, must beat Zimbabwe in their final match to have any chance of going through as one of the best third-placed teams.

"I want to congratulate our opponents, who played a good match, they played very well, created chances, I think in the second half they were better than us," said Egypt coach Javier Aguirre.

"We scored two, we could have scored a couple more, we have six points."

The match was played in stifling heat and even at half-time, at 23.00 local time, it was still 29-degrees-Celsius.

The Congolese made a bright start as Tresor Mputu's free kick was flicked on by Jonathan Bolingi and Marcel Tisserand touched it onto the crossbar.

They also shut out the hosts but, just as Egypt seemed to be running out of ideas, they went ahead from a set-piece.

A corner was taken short to Salah and he sent an inviting cross into the area. Elmohamady and Christian Luyindula both went for it and it rebounded for Elmohamady to neatly turn into the net.

Congo hit the woodwork again as Bolingi out-jumped his marker, only to see his header bounce off the crossbar.

Throughout all this, Salah looked as if he was in for a frustrating night after his disappointing evening in the 1-0 win over Zimbabwe.

The Egyptian icon had an early chance when he was given a clear run on goal but Tisserand managed to get a foot to his shot and deflected it wide.

Shortly after Egypt's first goal, Salah had a free kick brilliantly saved by Ley Matampi but his frustration ended two minutes before half-time.

Mahmoud Trezeguet charged out of defence and released Salah who cut inside a defender and planted the ball in the net.

Congo dominated the second half and were again unlucky not to score their first goal of the tournament. Bolingi had a header brilliantly saved by Mohamed El Shenawy and Yannick Bolasie sent a free kick centimetres wide of the post.

"Unfortunately, we didn't score but we hit the bar twice and had other chances," said Democratic Republic of Congo coach Florent Ibenge. "I feel bad for the players."

Momentum, confidence, sharpness, cohesiveness; these are chemical-like traits for a team, and they are as desirable as they are difficult to quantify.

Yet it's clear that in the wake of the 6-0 thrashing administered by the United States in Saturday's Gold Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago, these qualities are now at their peak for the U.S., at least in terms of the Gregg Berhalter era. The Americans' spot in the quarterfinals is also assured. This makes the U.S. manager's approach in Wednesday's group finale against Panama trickier than it otherwise might be.

Does he look to make wholesale changes in a bid to get minutes for as many players as possible? Does he keep things the same? Or does he attempt to find a middle ground?

- CONCACAF Gold Cup: All you need to know
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule

Following the T&T match, not even Berhalter was sure given that this is the first time he has been forced to make such decisions. At his pregame media conference he wasn't giving much away.

"We talked with the team and we want to try to win the group. That's a priority," he said on Tuesday. "Internally, we spoke with the players and our ambition is to win the game tomorrow.

"We know Panama is a very good opponent. We know we always have difficult games in Panama. We've met them, I think, in the last seven Gold Cups and all the games have been tough games. So we know they're going to out up good resistance, but we're going to try to win."

Winning the group does carry with it some advantages, the biggest being that it will result in a quarterfinal matchup against Curacao -- the surprise of the tournament, but heavy underdogs nonetheless -- on Sunday as opposed to Jamaica, which defeated a makeshift U.S. side 1-0 in a recent friendly.

That, combined with Berhalter's previous comments, it would seem that at least some changes will be made. The compressed schedule of games -- including just two full days between the quarterfinals and the semifinals -- demands as much, and a look at some of the individual considerations point to several alterations.

Berhalter has been intent on getting Jozy Altidore up to full fitness since he arrived in camp. To that end, the Toronto FC forward looked active and involved during his 16-minute stint against the Soca Warriors, and while Gyasi Zardes drew some deserved plaudits for this two-goal performance, there is a general understanding that an Altidore at 100 percent makes the U.S. a better team. Starting him would get Berhalter closer to achieving that end.

A case can also be made to hand Jordan Morris a start. The Seattle attacker's introduction against T&T helped turn a tight game into a rout, with Morris contributing assists on goals by Christian Pulisic and Paul Arriola. That might look like a tough break for Tyler Boyd, but if Berhalter is intent on doling out minutes to some reserves, Morris' performance ought to be rewarded.

Michael Bradley was another player who arrived in camp carrying an injury, and while he now looks close to full fitness, the match seems the right opportunity to give him some rest and let Wil Trapp try to gain some sharpness.

In the back, Matt Miazga seems a prime candidate to get some minutes in case one of Walker Zimmerman or Aaron Long is unavailable later in the tournament.

Weston McKennie finds himself in the unique position of having been the only U.S. player to have been booked in the tournament so far. According to the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition rules, yellow cards are wiped out after the quarterfinals to avoid a scenario whereby a player can be suspended for the final due to accumulation of yellow cards.

A yellow card against Panama would see McKennie suspended for the quarterfinals. Sitting him against Panama runs the risk of him being suspended for the semifinal. It all comes down to how much Berhalter trusts McKennie's self-discipline.

Panama is in much the same position as the U.S, though it must prevail in Wednesday's encounter in order to win the group, while for the hosts a draw will suffice. Will Julio Dely Valdes choose to rest players or go with his first-choice lineup? Either way, Berhalter is mindful that Valdes has an experienced group at his disposal, even if the likes of goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, forward Blas Perez and defender Felipe Baloy have retired from the international game.

"It's a good generation for Panama," Berhalter said. "We think they have dynamic, attacking players. We like how their forwards play together and combine with each other. We like the strength of the wingers, their speed, the one-on-one ability they have.

"We think they have a strong back-line, a good physically strong back-line. The left-back has been playing really well. We know Murillo well from MLS. [Roman] Torres and [Harold] Cummings as well, very strong, physical center-backs.

"Overall, I think it's a good team. Escobar has slid into midfield, we know that's not his usual position, but he's been doing a good job in there. Cooper has a lot of energy and a lot of dynamic ability. Overall, to me, it's a strong team."

For the U.S., it all makes for a delicate balance. Getting it right may well propel the Americans into the knockout rounds.

Leicestershire 273 for 7 (Azad 92, Cosgrove 63) trail Northamptonshire 299 by 26 runs

Hassan Azad's carefully compiled 92 saw Leicestershire build a steady reply to Northamptonshire's 299 on the third day at Wantage Road. Azad batted for over two sessions to help Leicestershire reach 273 for 7 before bad light curtailed the day 15 overs early.

Following a century in each innings against Gloucestershire in his last match, Azad again demonstrated a thirsty appetite for occupying the crease and blunted a game Northants attack who operated with good control throughout the day and found some movement.

The 25-year-old left-hander showed excellent judgement to leave well and was proactive in his defence, often advancing at the bowling to negate the moving ball. There were only three boundaries - one of them a top-edged pull over the wicketkeeper's head - in his 132-ball half-century.

His strike rate was pedestrian but it was a classic case of grinding out a score when timing wasn't particularly easy and the bowling was probing.

After tea, Azad very carefully swept Rob Keogh's offspin for four before an all-run four, via an overthrow, took him to 90. His latest advance down the wicket saw him shimmy out at Luke Procter to drive him through mid-off and take him past 600 runs for the season.

But within sight of a third consecutive century, Azad clipped Procter straight to Matt Coles at backward-square leg. The trap had been set for much of the day and he finally succumbed after a 212-ball vigil.

Procter struck again immediately, trapping Colin Ackermann lbw for a third-ball duck and as the new-ball was taken, Northants sensed a first-innings lead.

The new ball paid prompt dividends as Harry Dearden edged Ben Sanderson to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington, who was wrong-footed and dived to his left to take a sharp chance. Sanderson then swung one into Mark Cosgrove to win an lbw appeal.

Cosgrove had batted with Azad for much of the afternoon in a stand of 115 for the third wicket. The evergreen Australian played the shot of the day by driving Coles with a flourish past mid-off on a day where timing the ball proved difficult and played another flowing cover drive for four off Procter. But after reaching a fifth fifty of the season in 87 balls with six fours, fell for 63.

Dieter Klein was then pinned lbw by Coles after striking three boundaries in his 15 and the wicket was the fifth to fall for 48 runs in 12.2 overs.

The late burst saw Northants finally find reward for a day where they remained consistent with the ball. Initially they were frustrated with only one wicket with the first new ball - Paul Horton edging Nathan Buck to second slip for 29 after an opening stand of 60 - and had to wait until after lunch for a second breakthrough when Neil Dexter was caught in the crease by Brett Hutton and fell for 27.

New Zealand are arguably the best side when it comes to reading pitches in tournament play but on a slow Edgbaston track that turned considerably there were admissions after their loss to Pakistan that they had missed a trick by picking just one frontline spinner and omitting Ish Sodhi from the team.

In the absence of Sodhi's legspin, New Zealand turned to the part time offspin of Kane Williamson to partner Mitchell Santner, as they tried to defend 237 and break up the key partnership between Babar Azam and Haris Sohail. After the match, Santner admitted they were deceived by pitch and thought it would offer more for the pace bowlers.

"Obviously there was a bit of turn out there, probably more than we thought there would be," Santner said. "Obviously at the toss, only going with one spinner, we thought it might be a bit better than that.

"It's the spinner's role to take wickets on a surface like that but I think credit has to go to the way Pakistan batted throughout the middle. That partnership through the middle there was pretty special. There were a couple of chances there but it's about trying to build up pressure from both ends and stuff like that, but the way they were able to manipulate the field, and get their ones, when you're only chasing 230, is the way to go about it.

"I think we fought pretty well to the end and I guess they only got it in the last over. It was obviously a tough surface and we just had to stick at it. If we could put a couple on it, a couple of wickets on throughout that chase it might have been a little bit different."

After New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat, James Neesham made an unbeaten 97, his highest ODI score. He was one of eight bowlers used by Williamson, highlighting the desperation with which New Zealand were seeking a breakthrough.

Watch on Hotstar (India only) - Neesham's 97 not out

Before their previous match at Edgbaston, a final-over win against South Africa, New Zealand had spoken to Warwickshire captain and former Black Cap Jeetan Patel for advice on the pitch. Colin de Grandhomme has also played for the Birmingham Bears in the past two seasons.

But Neesham suggested the information they gleaned before playing Pakistan was not especially accurate.

"I think we can only obviously work on what we're told leading into the game," Neesham said. "We probably selected the team based on the information we had. In hindsight, it's easy to say an extra spinner would have been useful, but I think with the balls we had, the quality we had at the bowling crease was enough to defend that total, and unfortunately, it just didn't fall our way today."

First off, if you're reading this then you've lost. It's already the second-best thing you're doing with a Babar Azam innings. If you're ever reading about a Babar Azam innings, just know that it's really the second-best thing you're doing at that moment with a Babar Azam innings. The best thing to do with any Babar Azam innings is to be watching it, whether that is Babar Azam making 27 or Babar Azam making 127. And if you've already seen the Babar Azam innings of Edgbaston, do yourself a favour and don't read about it: watch it again (and maybe then read about it).

And as you watch it, allow the incredulity to overwhelm you, allow it to soak deep into you, so deep that it's not the game that is holding you but Babar's batting. Incredulity? Yes, because we're now in the age of Babar and that you can say that about any Pakistani batsman is an incredulous thing to be able to say.

The rest of the world will recognise that he is a fine batsman, a very fine young batsman. They will acknowledge him. They will fete him like they do all modern batsmen and that this is normal. They will compare him to Virat Kohli because why not? Don't fall in with them. See, the rest of the world is long used to batting gold.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only) - Babar's classy hundred

India has Kohli and Rohit Sharma and not so long ago they had… actually, they've never not had batsmen the rest of the world envied. Australia have Steven Smith and David Warner and they can even afford to be all casual about Glenn Maxwell. England has batsmen falling out of everywhere, even out of their bowlers. New Zealand have Kane Williamson and most days you'd throw Ross Taylor into that. West Indies have batsmen who hit sixes better, longer and more often than any set of batsmen in history. South Africa had/have (maybe, we hope?) AB de Villiers, the godfather of modern batting.

These are men who constitute a golden age of batting, men who have piled up such numbers that new ways of understanding and analysing their genius have had to be found; men who have not brought about an evolution but are the evolution.

In all this time, Pakistan have memories. Of innovators like Javed Miandad. Of classicists like Mohammad Yousuf. Of incongruous giants such as Inzamam. Even of the cussedness of Younis Khan. Mostly they have regrets. Regrets about Umar Akmal. About Sohaib Maqsood. About Ahmed Shahzad. About all the batting spaghetti they were throwing at a wall and none of it was sticking because none of it was cooked. About a domestic system that seems designed to preclude the emergence of genuine batsmen. About a way of thinking, a culture even, that precludes the emergence of a genuine batsman.

And so the incredulity that having lived and envied through all this, now, finally, suddenly, they have Babar Azam and you know what - no, can you believe what - that he does not look out of place in this company?

When you're watching today's innings and not reading this, you'll understand. There is value to all his runs. All 3000-plus ODI runs that he has scored hold value and each innings of his that has helped Pakistan win games have value. All the records he has broken have value. And then there is his innings today, at Edgbaston, in a chase - and Pakistan can win 17 ODIs in a row chasing but come that 18th game whether they're chasing 350 or 150, you'll still be watching from between the fingers covering your eyes - which will hold a value forever greater than all that. At this of all moments, in this increasingly heady campaign, let's not be shy - let's call this innings for what it is, a coming of age for sure, and perhaps an all-timer.

For one, he'd been suffering from flu, Grant Flower later said. In fact, because of the flu he had not netted the day before the game and Flower couldn't remember that Babar had ever not batted the day before a game (he did make up by netting plenty on the morning of the game).

For another, this was not an easy surface, a surface on the stranger, more dangerous side of slow. Fast bowlers got seam movement from it, and grip for their cutters. Spinners got plenty of turn - anytime Williamson can only edge a legspinner, you know this is serious. Mitchell Santner is Daniel Vettori on most days (and that is a great thing) but here he was turning it like your uncle swears Bishen Bedi used to. It was a proper spell. Plus there was Lockie Ferguson, one of the five quickest bowlers this tournament and Trent Boult, whose name alone is sufficient. Deal with all of that, as well as the knowledge that it is, from here on, pretty much do or be done.

WATCH on Hotstar (US only) - Full highlights of Pakistan's victory

So when you're watching this one again, you might form a conclusion. Not that this was a grind, because Babar doesn't grind. There was plenty of the pretty stuff you've watched over and over but just that it was feeling like this would amount to way more than the sum of all that prettiness - and if you think about what those shots he plays does to people, then we're talking a big sum. But that this wasn't his most in-control innings. Numbers will tell you that he played more false shots than he usually would, that he was beaten more often than he usually is. But ask yourself whether he was ever not really in control?

Watch the ninth over. Boult was sniffing. He had an early wicket and that target had grown considerably in spirit. First ball, Babar committed an error in trying to play to leg and ball somehow missed edge, off-stump, everything. Next ball, Babar leant into a drive through point. Four. Next ball, beaten again, even after correcting the earlier error and playing straight. Where to now? Next ball, a little wider, a little more tempting, no sir, not biting: leave.

Now Boult went round the wicket, messing around with angles. Got it a bit straight though, and Babar immediately leant into one of those cover-driven fours that no fielder moves for. Boult went back over, Babar blocked out, end of over. To be in control when you're not in control, to be in the Headingley of the 80s one ball and Trent Bridge of the aughties the next, is the real trick the best modern batsmen pull.

And so it went. He almost edged Jimmy Neesham attempting a cute dab, but immediately leant back and punched him through point for four. He inside-edged Santner, then miscued a pull off Ferguson during a really tricky phase but as soon as Colin Munro came on, through covers he was driven for four. In those early parts, a large percentage of his runs came from boundaries but it wasn't that these were loose balls - it was that Babar had this very modern clarity, this conviction, to identify balls off which his strengths could fetch boundaries from, that he has hit boundaries from thousands of times before. They could be good balls, or a little less good, but they were his balls to do with what he needed.

He kept doing it long enough so that the bluff that he was in control eventually became the reality and suddenly, you'll watch and see that he was playing the Babar innings you've watched over and over. The steady accumulation to let you drift - control see? - the occasional moment of beauty to wake you up, repeat, until end.

And if you've made it this far, reward yourself. Go watch it again.

TORONTO -- Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol accepted a one-year player option Wednesday for next season.

The value is approximately $25.6 million, marking the final season of a five-year contract Gasol signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2015. Had the 34-year-old Spaniard not accepted prior to the Thursday, he would have become a free agent on Sunday.

Raptors star Kawhi Leonard also has a one-year player option on his deal with a deadline for a decision Saturday, but he is expected to turn it down and become a free agent Sunday after leading Toronto to its first NBA title. Guard Danny Green is the other Raptors regular slated to become a free agent.

The Raptors acquired Gasol from the Grizzlies in February.

Gasol averaged 13.6 points and 7.9 rebounds in 79 regular-season games with the Raptors and Memphis this season. He averaged 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24 playoff games.

NBA guard Allen Crabbe was arrested early Wednesday in Los Angeles and cited for misdemeanor DUI.

According to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department online records, Crabbe was arrested at 12:15 a.m. PT in West Hollywood and booked at 1 a.m. PT with a bond set at $5,000.

TMZ reported that Crabbe was pulled over after he was seen "straddling lanes" and blew a .08 on a Breathalyzer test.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this month that the Brooklyn Nets agreed to trade Crabbe to the Atlanta Hawks. The deal can't be finalized until July 6.

The Hawks declined comment to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution when contacted about Crabbe's arrest because he isn't yet a member of the team.

Crabbe, 27, is scheduled to make $18.5 million in the 2019-20 season, which is the final year of his contract.

The Houston Rockets are canvassing NBA teams with significant salary-cap space to individually offer center Clint Capela, guard Eric Gordon and forward P.J. Tucker as a prelude to their pursuit of a sign-and-trade deal for Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Jimmy Butler, league sources told ESPN.

The Rockets want to secure the best available first-round pick acquired for any one of three players as part of a larger deal with Philadelphia for Butler, league sources said. Redirecting salaries elsewhere for Butler could deliver the 76ers a large trade exception that it could use in acquiring a player over the course of the next year.

If Butler and the 76ers were open to the trade scenario -- and there has yet to be a formal indication the team or Butler are interested -- the Rockets would need to include two or three of those players in a deal to the Sixers or a third team to make the salaries match on a four-year, $140 million maximum contract for Butler.

Capela has four years, $66 million left on his contract, and Gordon has $14 million and Tucker $16 million over two years left on their contracts. Only $2.6 million of Tucker's second year is guaranteed.

Nevertheless, the Sixers have been expressing confidence throughout the NBA that they'll be able to sign Butler and free agent Tobias Harris to new deals, league sources said. Butler's level of interest in pursuing the Rockets' idea is unclear. League rules prohibit Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, from discussing the deal prior to the start of free agency on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

Once free agency starts, however, the Rockets are determined to push the 76ers for a sign-and-trade deal that would allow the All-Star forward to join All-NBA guard James Harden and Chris Paul on the Rockets, league sources tell ESPN.

The Rockets don't have the salary-cap space to sign Butler, so they'd need the threat of the Sixers losing him for nothing to a team with the available room to motivate the Sixers into a trade.

The Sixers plan to be aggressive in signing Butler to a new deal, sources said, and could blunt a Rockets push with a full five-year, $190 million offer at the start of free agency on Sunday night. The Sixers could offer Butler a four-year, $146.5 million deal, too.

Butler would be eligible to sign a four-year, $140 million contract on the way to the Rockets. The 76ers acquired Butler in a trade with Minnesota for Dario Saric and Robert Covington in November.

The Sixers could redirect those Houston assets to third teams and create a large trade exception that it could use to absorb a player via trade.

MONTREAL -- The son of former Montreal Expos owner Charles Bronfman believes the predominantly French-speaking city is ready and willing to support -- and share -- the Tampa Bay Rays.

Private equity investor Stephen Bronfman leads a group working on bringing baseball back to Montreal and said Wednesday the city can embrace the sport again. He called the idea of one team in two cities groundbreaking.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week the Rays have "broad permission to explore what's available." Tampa Bay is averaging 14,546 fans a game, lowest in the American League and well below the MLB average of 27,360. Only the Miami Marlins draw smaller crowds, averaging 9,378.

On Tuesday, Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg said it's unrealistic for his team to play full time in the Tampa Bay area, and said a shared season with Montreal is the best option.

Montreal has been without a big league team since the Expos left after the 2004 season for Washington and became the Nationals.

"We have always said we have a two-track approach," Bronfman said. "There has always been the possibility of a team being relocated, and then there is expansion. We don't know if expansion is in the cards in the decade to come, if at all. We have this possibility now to begin the work of having Major League Baseball here with an existing team that is really professional. It's not like starting from scratch. This is a team that is playing nearly .600 baseball."

An agreement between the Rays and St. Petersburg for Tropicana Field runs through 2027. St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman has said the city will not fund a new stadium for a part-time team.

"We're in a different world," Bronfman said. "Hats off to Major League Baseball for being so innovative in their thinking and their progressive nature of even considering a concept like this. It's very groundbreaking when you talk about sport."

Sternberg envisions open-air stadiums in both cities but noted there are no plans to pay for them. He said an ideal target date would have everything in place for the 2024 season.

Bronfman said he has no say in the timetable but hopes a deal can be reached soon, pointing out that his father, the original Expos owner, is 88 years old.

"We have an incredible city," Bronfman said. "We have a strong economy, we can support baseball and now we have a chance to support it in partnership with Tampa Bay. I think it's a very, very good opportunity for us and I think Major League Baseball believes this opportunity exists in Montreal and they are giving their support to our city. So for me that's a strong start and we will see how things develop."

The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since their inception in 1998 and drew their smallest-ever home crowd of 5,786 against Toronto last month.

Sternberg said this week it's possible the Bronfman group could join the current Rays' ownership if the sister-city plans succeed, but he will keep controlling interest.

"I think even in a split scenario, it's a return of baseball permanently to Montreal," Bronfman said.

The 2-year-old girl who was struck by a foul ball at Minute Maid Park on May 29 suffered a skull fracture and had a seizure, a spokesperson for the family said in a release issued Wednesday. The girl also had subdural bleeding, brain contusions, brain edema and an abnormal electroencephalogram, and is on medication to prevent further seizures.

The family has retained attorney Richard Mithoff to advise about the incident, according to the release. No lawsuit has been filed, but Mithoff detailed the injuries in a letter to the Houston Astros organization advising it that he and family attorney Steve Polotko had been retained.

"The Astros' risk management representative reached out to the family, and now that the family is represented by counsel, I wanted to let the other side know that I am involved so that they can get in touch with me," Mithoff told the Houston Chronicle. According to the release, the child was hospitalized for several days, and her progress will be reassessed in July. The family has requested privacy beyond that information, Mithoff said. The release Wednesday was the first time the extent of her injuries had been revealed.

The incident brought further attention to the issue of expanding safety netting at ballparks. In the past week, the Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers have announced plans to extend safety netting from foul pole to foul pole, with the Nationals saying the work will be done at their ballpark over the All-Star break next month.

According to a survey commissioned by ESPN last week, Major League Baseball fans support installation of more safety netting at ballparks by an overwhelming majority, 78 percent to 22 percent.

The survey was commissioned after the incident in Houston. The girl was injured when she was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. during a game between Chicago and the Astros. On Sunday, a woman at Dodger Stadium was taken to a hospital for precautionary tests after being struck in the head by a foul ball.

Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle was one of many players who called for baseball to address the issue after the incident in Houston, saying fans' safety should be a top priority.

"I am glad the Washington Nationals have decided to lead the charge on this issue," Doolittle said. "Players want fans to be able to safely enjoy the game without fearing for their safety."

Since 1913, every ticket to a major league game has included a disclaimer saying the holder of the ticket assumes all the risks inherent to the game. Called the "Baseball Rule," it has made it nearly impossible for fans injured at games to successfully sue teams or MLB.

Following recommendations from MLB, by the start of the 2018 season all 30 teams had expanded their protective netting to at least the far ends of the dugouts after several fans were injured by foul balls in 2017.

Earlier this month, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, reacting to the incident in Houston, said he did not expect teams to make changes to the netting around ballparks during the season, but said he expected conversations to continue about whether the netting should be extended.