The 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is going to look a little strange due to all the big-name stars either dealing with injuries or having bad seasons. 

• Aaron Judge, voted in as a starter, will miss the game due to a rib injury.
• Mike Trout, also voted in as a starter, is on the injured list (hamstring), although he’s hoping to play in his first All-Star Game since 2019.
• All-Star mainstay Jose Ramirez is having his worst season and is also on the IL (hand).
• Francisco Lindor has played just 31 games because of a left calf injury.
• Mookie Betts has been hot of late but missed time with an oblique injury and got off to a slow start.
• Cal Raleigh, last year’s American League MVP runner-up, is still struggling with a batting average well under .200.
• Future Hall of Famer Manny Machado is likewise scuffling with a sub-.200 average.

The New York State Gaming Commission has unanimously approved licenses for three new casinos in New York City. The decision paves the way for Bally’s in the Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park near Citi Field, and Resorts World near the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens to begin development. 

According to Gaming Commission Chairman Bryan O’Dwyer, the licensing fees are expected to generate $1.5 billion for the state.

The Hard Rock Metropolitan Park, a significant part of the approved projects, is a partnership between Hard Rock International and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen. The $8.1 billion project will transform 50 acres of parking lots around Citi Field into a large-scale entertainment and gaming complex.

The complex will feature a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a Hard Rock Live concert center, multiple restaurants and bars, a retail store, and a 25-acre public park.

Burger King is sliding into the slider game. The fast-food chain announced that it will test a new “King Size Sliders Box” for a limited time.

The company said that the new offering is bigger than a slider but smaller than a burger. Guests can build their own box of six king-size sliders, mixing and matching from their choice of three flavors of burgers.

The Deluxe Slider is topped with fresh lettuce, tomato, pickles and tangy burger aioli.

The Steakhouse Bacon Slider features melty Swiss cheese, crispy bacon, crispy onions and peppercorn sauce. The third option is the Bacon & Cheese Slider, topped with crispy bacon, melted American cheese and tangy burger aioli.

All three of the options have a “100% flame-grilled beef patty” and come on a “soft and buttery slider bun.”

The news comes shortly after Burger King announced that the Whopper is getting a makeover for the first time in nearly a decade.