The Tampa Bay Rays will begin their long, strange trip to the All-Star break when they face the Minnesota Twins on Friday afternoon to open a three-game series in Minneapolis.

The New York Mets and New York Yankees stumbled in the weeks leading up to the latest installment of the Subway Series, which starts Friday at Citi Field.

The July 31 trade deadline will be looming large when the visiting St. Louis Cardinals begin a three-game series against the rival Chicago Cubs on Friday.