The future looks bright for some top stars and uncertain for others in the aftermath of UFC International Fight Week

Report Doekhi wanted by Lazio as free agentLazio are in talks with defender Danilho Doekhi, claims transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano, as he would be a free agent after leaving Union Berlin.The Aquile need to completely revamp their defence this summer with the arrival of coach Gennaro Gattuso, and above all the exits of Alessio Romagnoli and Mario Gila.They already picked up one free agent in the form of left-back Alfonso Pedraza, as the 30-year-old was out of contract with Villarreal.Lazio looking at DoekhiHEIDENHEIM, GERMANY APRIL 11: Danilho Doekhi of 1.FC Union Berlin in action during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 and 1. FC Union Berlin at Voith-Arena on April 11, 2026 in Heidenheim, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)According to Romano, their next target is 28-year-old Doekhi, who is available after his deal with Union Berlin ran down on June 30.The Dutch centre-back has no shortage of other interested parties, including Aston Villa, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven.However, most of those approaches were earlier in the summer and the focus on him appears to have cooled, allowing Lazio to push their way into the queue.A product of the Excelsior and Ajax youth academies, he moved to Union Berlin from Vitesse as a free agent in 2022.

Traore expected for Genoa tests on Monday in 10m Marseille agreementHamed Junior Traore is expected in Italy for his Genoa medical on Monday, ready to complete a loan with option to buy move from Olympique Marseille for up to 10m.The initial report of the deal had come from France with Footmercato, suggesting the cost of the operation would be around 8m.Genoa can pay up to 10m for TraoreUDINE, ITALY MAY 06:Hamed Junior Traor of SSC Napoli looks on during the Serie A TIM match between Udinese Calcio and SSC Napoli at Dacia Arena on May 06, 2024 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)Now the Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttomercatoweb point to a figure closer to 10m including add-ons and the cost of the loan fee.Its believed that Traore will arrive on Italian soil for his medical tests and to sign the contract on Monday.He can then travel to join the rest of Daniele de Rossis Genoa squad in their pre-season training camp at Moena.This represents a return to Serie A for the Ivory Coast international, who started out in the Empoli academy before moving on to Sassuolo, Napoli and Auxerre.The 26-year-old had been sold to Bournemouth in 2023 for 25.6m, but his career stalled due to repeated injury problems, and he moved to Marseille for 7.7m.

Senegal fired its mens football coach Pape Thiaw, according to a statement issued by the national federation on Sunday. The Senegalese Football Federation added that Thiaw's technical staff were also dismissed. The decision followed Senegals elimination in the round of 32 at the ongoing World Cup. "After an evaluation of the performance of the national team and its prospects, the Executive Committee believes that a change is necessary in the interest of Senegalese football," the federation said. Thiaw, 45, was appointed in 2024 and led the West African nation to a disputed continental title in Morocco earlier this year before the victory was overturned by the Confederation of African Football. Senegal has approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport about appealing the decision. Senegal was eliminated from the World Cup by Belgium despite leading 2-0 with roughly five minutes of regulation time remaining. The team also came close to elimination in the group stage after losses to France and Norway. Reporting by The Associated Press.

Ryu becomes the second golfer to go back-to-back at LPGA majors this season

Brendon McCullum became England Test head coach in May 2022 [Getty Images]Brendon McCullum has been sacked as Test coach in another staggering twist in the unravelling of the England team.Two weeks after Ben Stokes made the stunning announcement to step down as captain and retire from international cricket, McCullum's exit brings a definitive end to the Bazball era.The New Zealander will continue as England's white-ball coach, but he leaves the Test team following a string of poor results and several off-field incidents.Director of cricket Rob Key will remain in position, with the decision to remove McCullum coming after the hierarchy of the England and Wales Cricket Board spent time reflecting on the situation surrounding the men's team."I've absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved together," said McCullum. "There've been some unbelievable highs and a few tough days along the way, but that's all part of taking on a challenge like this."Of course I'm gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision. My focus now is on giving everything I've got to the white-ball teams and helping England keep moving forward."England have lost seven of their past nine Tests, including the 4-1 Ashes hammering in Australia.McCullum, Stokes and Key were backed to remain in charge following that defeat, only for England to be beaten 2-1 by New Zealand.The defeat by the Black Caps England's first in a home series of at least three Tests for 14 years was overshadowed by a nightclub incident involving Stokes and Gus Atkinson, then Stokes' abrupt retirement.Now, the England Test team has no head coach and no captain, with the next series against Pakistan beginning on 19 August.Harry Brook appears favourite to be named as Test captain, though that appointment could now hinge on the identity of the next head coach.Since 1999, England have had only two English head coaches of the Test team. Peter Moores did the job twice, while Chris Silverwood was McCullum's predecessor.Zimbabwean Andy Flower, who was in charge when England won the Ashes in Australia in 2010-11, would be the standout candidate to replace McCullum, though it is not known if he could be lured from the franchise world.Homegrown candidates might include Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson, or his fellow former England spinner Gareth Batty, now in charge at Surrey. Legendary former all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is head coach of England Lions but has previously said he does not want the job with the senior team.Australian Ryan Campbell has impressed at Durham, while ex-Australia coach Darren Lehmann is now head coach at Northants.In remaining as white-ball coach, McCullum can continue to build on the improvements made by England's limited-overs team. The victory over India on Saturday gave England a 4-0 T20 series win over the world champions and put them at number one in the world rankings.McCullum combined the Test and white-ball roles in 2024, two years after he first took charge of the Test team. When he arrived as Test coach in 2022, he initially embarked on a spell of superb results earned with some breathtaking cricket.The partnership with Stokes the Bazball style revitalised an England team who had won only one of their previous 17 Tests.With some swashbuckling batting, England earned famous wins over New Zealand at Trent Bridge, India at Edgbaston and Pakistan in Rawalpindi, the latter the beginning of a 3-0 series win. Overall, England won 10 of their first 11 Tests under McCullum and Stokes.However, since that initial period of success, England have lost 19 and won 17 of 38 Tests, beginning with a heart-stopping one-run defeat by New Zealand in Wellington, sustained after England enforced the follow-on.England fell 2-0 down in the home Ashes of 2023 yet turned it around to draw 2-2, and they perhaps would have won the urn had rain not washed out almost the entire last two days of the fourth Test at Old Trafford.The tour of India in 2024 began with another famous win in Hyderabad, only to decline into a 4-1 series defeat.On returning home from India, Stokes, McCullum and Key set their sights on the Ashes tour of 2025-26, including ending the career of England's all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson.England formed a plan to hit Australia with pace and assembled arguably their most hostile attack in more than 50 years for the trip down under.But the tour fell apart in a blur of inadequate planning, poor performances and allegations of a drinking culture.After playing only one warm-up match against the Lions, England were in a strong position in the first Test in Perth 105 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand shortly after lunch on the second day. In an astonishing implosion, England were beaten before the day was out and never recovered.Although England won the fourth Test in Melbourne, their first win in Australia for 14 years, their performances elsewhere were abject a threadbare squad left ill-prepared for the demands of such a tour.Off the field, England's reputation was affected by their public drinking in Noosa, when opener Ben Duckett was filmed, apparently drunk.Worse was to come at the end of the Ashes tour, when it emerged Brook had been struck by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international on the tour of New Zealand that preceded the trip to Australia.After they were backed to remain in their jobs, McCullum and Stokes attempted to distance themselves from rumours of a rift that had supposedly developed in Australia.England added to their backroom staff to aid preparation and implemented a midnight curfew in an attempt to avoid further controversy.There was optimism when they won the first Test of the home summer against New Zealand at Lord's. However, the nightclub incident that unfolded when Stokes was celebrating that win sparked the chain of events that has left England in turmoil.McCullum's contract with the white-ball team runs to the end of the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa next autumn.Now, England must find a head coach of the Test team who can work alongside McCullum's big character and relaxed approach.'It began with a bang, it ended with a bang'Analysis by chief cricket commentator Jonathan AgnewIt began with a bang, it ended with a bang. You read the ECB stuff and you wonder why they've sacked him. It's extraordinary things they've said here he leaves the Test team well set and poised to achieve great things, so why have they sacked him?They sacked him because of a lot of ill-discipline, the Ashes an awful lot was said about that both on and off the field. Off the field is just as important here. The lack of discipline there has been. That, I suspect, has been [ECB chief executive] Richard Gould's primary concern here.He looks at the cricketing landscape, particularly in the men's team, and it's like it's been napalmed. The image of the men's game is very, very poor. They have to be seen to be gaining discipline and taking more control of the English game.Who will come in? No idea at all. I don't think it will be someone as loose and that was very positive at the start. It's important to remember that when McCullum and Stokes did take over, English cricket was in a real mess and they did revolutionise it and they won 10 of the first 11 Test matches they played together and in wonderful, unforgettable ways.I'll be very interested to see who they appoint as coach. At the moment all the really top ones seem to be very comfortably positioned with the nice pickings of franchise cricket that pays them well and means they're not away from home for months and I don't think there's the scrutiny that the England coach has. He really is under the spotlight, like the England captain.The highs and lows of BazballMcCullum & Key should go in 'complete clearout' - Vaughan

The trade deadline is just a few weeks away

Hello, and welcome to the 2026 White SoxMLB draft tracker!Below, youll find every pick the White Sox make, with links to our individual stories on site for the five picks in the first four rounds.Right off the bat, the White Sox dispelled any notion that they would zag instead of zig, picking the longtime and near-universal No. 1 prospect in a top-heavy class, Roch Cholowsky.While last year was a shortstop draft, 2026 went hard for hitters, particularly outfielders (eight of the first 20 picks, and every pick from No. 5-9). Just three pitchers went in the Top 20, and just one arm (Jackson Flora, Giants, No. 4) before pick 18.All of the first nine position player prospects this year (through pick No. 14) are shortstops. Getting deeper into the round, 12 of 21 picks were shortstops, still almost exclusively among position players.On Day 2, the White Sox finally got their first overall pick vibe that shoulda/woulda been theirs in any other past draft, and at No. 106 did not quite take the top remaining talent on the board.Note, all picks with breakout stories on site are linked below. Picks on Sunday (Rounds 5-20) who fall outside of MLBs Top 250 without a truly distinguishing trait wont have individual stories published on site, but merely will show up here on our tracker.2026 MLB draftDay 1: Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4)Noon-12:30 p.m. CT Preview show (NBC/Peacock)12:30-1:30 p.m. CT Lottery picks 1-10 (NBC/Peacock)1:30-3:30 p.m. CT Picks 11-40 (MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)3:30-6:45 p.m. CT Picks 41-135 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20)10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. CT Rounds 5-20 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)White Sox picksFirst Round (No. 1) Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLACholowsky was the consensus No. 1 pick pretty much since the end of last years draft, with an MLB-ready bat and glove. We could see him in Chicago as soon as September.Competitive Balance Round A (via Pirates) (No. 34) Landon Thome, 2B/3B, Nazareth Academy (Ill.)The White Sox telegraphed this pick with last nights trade, as Thome was falling right around this slot in predraft rankings and the club did not want to gamble on him falling to their second-round pick (No. 41). Thome is likely to shift off of his prep spot, shortstop, as his hitting and speed are more advanced than his glove. Thome will quickly join Nazareth teammate Jaden Fauske, taken by the Sox in the second round a year ago, in Low-A Kannapolis.Second Round (No. 41) Cole Prosek, 2B, Magnolia Heights (Miss.) H.S.Prosek was ranked as the No. 27 talent in the draft, meaning that the White Sox snagged a first-round talent about a dozen picks lower than they should have. He and Thome both might take a bit of an over-slot offer to sign, but the White Sox have oodles of bonus money to wave their way. Prosek is another bat-first talent who can hold his own defensively, and the 18-year-old (turns 19 in three days) packs a wrinkle into his game he just started playing catcher this past season.Third Round (No. 77) Joey Volchko, RHSP, University of GeorgiaThe White Sox opt for an arm four picks in, grabbing this electric righty from Georgia. Hes a definite project, however, with some concerning contradictions: his mid-90s fastball (that can run up to 101 mph) has little movement and thereby is hittable, while his breaking stuff (splitter/change and curve) cannot be thrown for strikes. His upside remains a No. 2 or 3 starter, and the downside not getting out of A-ball.Fourth Round (No. 105) Eric Segura, RHP, Oregon State UniversitySegura is the first pick of the draft where the White Sox moved on a player ranked lower on the MLB draft board, as this righty was ranked just 196th by MLB Pipeline. Beyond this possibly being a cost-cutting pick to push some extra money at other selections, Segura seems to always outkick his coverage. He bulled his way into the Beavers rotation as a freshman hurler, and after a year in the pen ran with a rotation opportunity once more, improving his control and putting up a 2.22 ERA that was one of the 10 best in Division I.Fifth Round (No. 137) Cal Scolari, RHP, University of OregonScolari has significant injury history TJS wiped out his high school senior and college freshman seasons but brings a powerful fastball (running up to 98 mph) to the system. His background screams reliever, but his solid mechanics and pitch mix put Scolari in the running for rotation work when the time comes for his pro debut.Sixth Round (No. 166)Seventh Round (No. 195)Eighth Round (No. 225)Ninth Round (No. 255)10th Round (No. 285)The pool the White Sox will have to sign their first 10 picks is $20,489,500.11th Round (No. 315)12th Round (No. 345)13th Round (No. 375)14th Round (No. 405)15th Round (No. 435)16th Round (No. 465)17th Round (No. 495)18th Round (No. 525)19th Round (No. 555)20th Round (No. 585)

Barcelona attacker racing back to fitness and should be available for league openerFermin Lopez endured one of the most difficult moments of his career last May, when an untimely injury ruled him out of the World Cup.But the Barcelona midfielder is now making rapid strides in his recovery and is on course to be fit for the start of the new season.According to Diario AS, Fermin is progressing impressively following surgery on his foot, and the club are confident he will be available when the La Liga campaign gets underway.The injury itself came as a cruel blow to the 22-year-old. Fermin suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in an unfortunate incident, an issue that required surgery and ultimately ended his hopes of featuring at the World Cup.Fermin Lopez is recovering rapidly. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)The attacker was left in a state of shock and needed considerable time to come to terms with missing out on the tournament, a chance he had worked so hard to earn.Ahead of scheduleAlmost two months on from the injury, however, the mood is far more positive. Fermin has spent the past week carrying out specific work on the pitch, all under the close supervision of physiotherapist Jose Cortes, who has overseen his rehabilitation from the very beginning.The midfielder is said to be recovering at lightning speed, and while he will not be ready to join his teammates when they report for training on July 13, the hope is that he will link up with the group within a couple of weeks.Encouragingly, Fermins recovery plan even includes travelling with the squad to their pre-season camp in England, where he could feature for a few minutes in the friendly against Birmingham on July 31st.On track for the openerPerhaps most significantly, Barcelona are confident that Hansi Flick will have Fermin available for the official start of the campaign.Fermin Lopez missed the World Cup due to injury. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)With the opening matchday having been pushed back by a week, Fermins return is now expected to coincide with Barcelonas first fixture against Elche on the weekend of August 22-23. By that point, three months will have passed since the injury, a period the club consider more than sufficient for a full recovery.The news will come as a major relief to both Fermin and Flick. The midfielder established himself as an increasingly important figure last season, offering energy, goals and versatility from midfield.His return to full fitness gives the German coach another valuable option as Barcelona look to defend their La Liga crown.After the heartbreak of missing the World Cup, Fermin will be determined to make up for lost time.

This weeks All-Star festivities in Philadelphia will be a hometown showcase. The Phillies have two players Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber competing in the Home Run Derby on Monday. One day later, four more Phillies players Cristopher Snchez, Jess Luzardo, Brandon Marsh and Jhoan Duran will be joining Schwarber and Harper at the All-Star Game. On the American League side, it will also be a return home for Mike Trout, the native of Millville, New Jersey, whose 12th All-Star Game will hold a special meaning. With All-Star week about to get going, here are 10 storylines to watch. Who Will Be The Starting Pitchers? Rowan Kavner: There are two strong options for American League manager John Schneider. The Yankees Cam Schlittler leads AL pitchers in bWAR, ERA and WHIP, while Schneiders Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease leads AL pitchers in fWAR, strikeouts, strikeout rate and opponents batting average. Theyve clearly been the top two pitchers in the AL. Its a little more complicated in the National League. Jacob Misiorowski would have been the obvious choice in the middle of a historically overpowering season. He leads all qualified MLB starters in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and opponents batting average. Shane Bieber (in the shortened 2020 season) and Gerrit Cole (in 2019) are the only qualified starters who have ever logged a strikeout rate higher than Misiorowskis (39.6%) over the course of a full season. The only problem? Miz wont be there. He has been replaced because he will be pitching on Sunday and unavailable for the All-Star Game. Paul Skenes might have made sense, but he will be facing off against Misiorowski on Sunday (and hasnt had the first-half numbers of other top contenders). NL manager Dave Roberts told me last week that being the hometown pitcher "has got to have some weight" as he mulls his decision. If he chooses to go with a Phillies pitcher, there are two options: Snchez and Luzardo. Snchez would have been the clear choice until he coughed up nine runs in Kansas City on Monday. Despite that clunker, as long as he is cleared to pitch three days after his start on Saturday, he'd make a lot of sense. Atlantas Chris Sale, Cincinnatis Chase Burns and Roberts World Series star Yoshinobu Yamamoto also have to be among the other top considerations. A Farewell To Justin Verlander Deesha Thosar: This weeks All-Star week festivities will double as a farewell stage for Verlander, giving his peers and fans a chance to celebrate his remarkable career. After announcing that he will retire following the season, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer will take one final All-Star bow as one of the sports most accomplished pitchers. Verlander is a throwback from a generation of pitchers that played the game with different priorities, including pitching deep into games, emphasizing durability and wins, and defining a legacy through consistency and longevity. Its fair to question whether we will ever see anyone like him take the mound again. Few careers can match Verlanders resume. The 43-year-old is a 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, a two-time World Series champion, and the 2011 AL MVP. The right-hander has spent over two decades overpowering hitters, presiding as the active leader in strikeouts (3,554), wins (266), complete games (26), games started (556) and innings pitched (3,571.1). Whatever MLB has in the works to honor Verlander in Philly, its certain to be a fitting tribute to one of baseballs all-time greats. Hometown Stars In Home Run Derby Kavner: In 2018, the Nationals' Bryce Harper beat the Cubs' Kyle Schwarber in the finals to win the Home Run Derby. Eight years later, now Phillies teammates, theyll face off again in front of their hometown fans. Its the first time since that 2018 Derby that two teammates will compete. (That year, it was Schwarber and Cubs teammate Javier Bez). Harper has tabbed Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel, one of his World Baseball Classic Team USA coaches, as his Derby pitcher. Ebel threw to Schwarber during last years All-Star Game swing-off, helping Schwarber launch three home runs on three pitches to earn MVP honors. Speaking Of That Swing-Off Thosar: Could another Home Run Derby-style swing-off decide the All-Star Game? After last year's dramatic tiebreaker captivated fans, including Schwarber going a perfect 3-for-3 with three home runs, the possibility is back on the table in Philadelphia. Under MLB's All-Star rules, games tied after nine innings skip extra innings and move straight to a swing-off. Three manager-selected hitters from each league get three swings apiece, and the team that hits the most home runs after all rounds will claim the win. The format was introduced to avoid overworking pitchers while adding late-game drama. There's no way to predict another tie, but all the ingredients are there. Theres elite pitching, stacked lineups and every run will come at a premium, so another swing-off remains a real possibility. If it happens, who will be crowned the hero? Last year in Atlanta, after the NL and AL ended the ninth in a 6-6 tie, we got to see Brent Rooker vs. Kyle Stowers in round one, followed by Schwarber vs. Randy Arozarena in round two, and finally Jonathan Aranda vs. Pete Alonso in round three. The NL won the All-Star Game, 7-6, after the unprecedented swing-off. Trout To Start In Hometown All-Star Game Kavner: Trouts 12th All-Star Game will be a particularly memorable one. Trouts hometown of Millville, New Jersey, is less than 50 miles from Philadelphia, and the Angels superstar has thought about the possibility of playing in this All-Star Game since before the season began. "It would be huge," Trout told me two weeks ago, when he was still on the injured list with a hamstring strain. "Itd be special, for sure." Trout has returned from his hamstring strain as he vowed to do just in time. Hell be starting in the outfield for an AL team that could use his pop with Aaron Judge injured. Which AL Rookie Will Step Up? Kavner: Its a special year for rookie talent, and much of it will be on display on the American League roster. Munetaka Murakami returned from his hamstring injury just in time to be added to the American League roster after launching 20 homers in his first 57 big-league games. Kevin McGonigle is already one of the most valuable shortstops in the game at 21 years old. Cleveland has two AL Rookie of the Year contenders in the game in second baseman Travis Bazzana and pitcher Parker Messick. All of them have risen to the occasion in their first MLB season, and it will be fascinating to see who holds their own or takes their game to another level against the sports top competition. MLB Continues To Showcase International Stars Thosar: Is it the World Baseball Classic, or the All-Star Game? Just four months after another successful WBC, which ended with Venezuela beating the United States for its first-ever WBC title, the All-Star Game will continue to showcase baseballs global reach. From Latin America to Asia to the land down under, Phillys Midsummer Classic will feature plenty of stars whose baseball journeys began in different countries. There are 22 internationally born players earning spots on the All-Star rosters (33.8%), including 12 players in the NL and 10 in the AL. The list features players from Cuba (7); the Dominican Republic (5); Venezuela (4); Canada (2); Japan (2); Australia (1); and Curaao (1). Guardians rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana, a native of Hornsby, Australia, will become just the fourth-ever native of Australia to make the All-Star Game, joining Grant Balfour (2013); Liam Hendriks (2019, 2021-22); and Dave Nilsson (1999). Diverse All-Star rosters represent the international talent pipeline thats become essential to MLBs grandest stages. Will This Week Be The Showcase Of Junior Caminero? Kavner: Caminero is one of the hottest hitters on the planet right now he had 12 homers in his last 16 games entering the weekend before the break and hes out for revenge after falling just short of becoming the youngest player ever to win the Home Run Derby last year. Would anyone be surprised if he won the Derby and then took home All-Star MVP honors? At just 23 years old, the AL starting third baseman is quickly ascending into one of the leagues most promising superstars. The First-Time All-Stars To Watch Thosar: Some have been there, done that (looking at you, Trout, Freddie Freeman, Chris Sale, Juan Soto, Matt Olson, et al.). And then, some will have no idea what to expect and will be taking in the All-Star week festivities with fresh eyes. There is a record, eye-popping total of 29 players who will be making their All-Star Game debuts this year. Among that large group, there are several names worth keeping an eye on who could steal the show. Notable names making their first trip to the Midsummer Classic include Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease, Yankees first baseman Ben Rice and burgeoning star right-hander Schlitter, breakout Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker and local Phillies in Luzardo and outfielder Brandon Marsh rounding out the group of some of the games best players of the first half. "I dont necessarily come into the season saying, I really want to be on the All-Star team," Rice told me of whether it was his goal to be selected. "But you can only hope that if you do your best every day and stick to your process and the results follow, that maybe youll get the chance." Key Stars Will Be Absent. Who Will Capitalize? Thosar: Weve been spoiled over the years with so many household names regularly appearing at MLBs annual All-Star Game festivities, but this year, the Midsummer Classic will be missing some of its biggest headliners. Shohei Ohtani (left knee irritation), Judge (stress fracture in right rib), and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (elected not to play) are among the superstar absences, with aces Skenes and Misiorowski also unable to play in the All-Star Game because theyre both starting on Sunday. In addition, Byron Buxton is dealing with a right hip impingement, while Nick Kurtz will also miss the game due to a right thumb sprain. Still, these absences create opportunity. With a handful of marquee names sidelined or unavailable, the spotlight shifts to first-time All-Stars and underrated talents who are all eager to make a name for themselves. Keep an eye on All-Star Game replacements like first baseman Willson Contreras and Murakami to make the most of their chances.