The long wait is over. The intricate planning that took more than a year from both the Twins and Major League Baseball is complete — All-Star Week is here in Minnesota. It’s the return of Major League Baseball’s iconic event to the Twin Cities for the first time since 1985. But it looks nothing like it did nearly 30 years ago, as it’s much more than just Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Target Field.

All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki insisted he still has hope. But like so many with the Rockies, who once more have experienced a heavy injury toll that has exposed a lack of depth, Tulowitzki realizes the coming weeks might signal a time for a change.

After helping win Thursday night’s game, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez left with a flare-up of his sore right shoulder and likely won’t start again until after the All-Star break.

With Chase Headley’s two-out solo home run to left field in the sixth inning Thursday night, Clayton Kershaw’s scoreless streak came to an end — but not before he carved his name into the Major League record books.

For the first time in nearly a month, Clayton Kershaw gave up a run, but he ran his win streak to eight consecutive starts as the first-place Dodgers beat the Padres, 2-1, Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

After two innings, Kole Calhoun was halfway to a cycle with a triple and a double against Rangers veteran Colby Lewis. Calhoun’s single in the third left him one big swing away. Was he thinking about the cycle? “One hundred percent,” Calhoun said, grinning.

Masahiro Tanaka has been diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, according to general manager Brian Cashman, who revealed the news on a conference call with reporters Thursday night.

Pounding Colby Lewis for 13 runs, a franchise record for a Texas starter, in 2 1/3 innings, the Angels rolled to a 15-6 victory in Thursday night’s opener of a four-game series at Globe Life Park that will carry the American League West rivals into the All-Star break.

Confusion ultimately led to oddity at Busch Stadium in the finale between the Pirates and Cardinals on Thursday night, when a popped-up bunt turned into a forceout involving a center fielder.

Be on the lookout for stats or factors that aren’t heavily utilized by other fantasy baseball participants.

The game in which Babe Ruth debuted for the Boston Red Sox is notable only for the seven mostly-effective innings Ruth pitched, and the strikeout he logged in his first big league at-bat.

With the All-Star break on the horizon, the Braves have yet to provide a clear understanding of where they might be by the time this season concludes. But after Thursday night’s 3-1 win over the Mets, they were reintroduced to that sense of optimism that they hope to carry through the season’s second half.

White Sox ace Chris Sale and Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo made Chicago proud on Thursday with a Windy City sweep, winning the 13th annual All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian after 92 hours of relentless fan balloting.

The gigantic All-Star ball has been signed by legends such as Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Willie Mays and George Brett over the past several years. It travels wherever FanFest takes it (more than 50,000 miles so far), and this year, it resides in Minnesota for the 2014 All-Star Game on Tuesday.

Scott Kazmir demonstrated once again Thursday that he is more than a feel-good story. His latest pitching line to close out a remarkable first half: seven shutout innings, three hits, one walk and nine strikeouts in a 6-1 win over the Giants.

A’s third baseman Josh Donaldson and Rockies first baseman were picked for the final two spots in the Gillette Home Run Derby at Minnesota’s Target Field on Monday.

Yadier Molina will miss the next 8-12 weeks after suffering a ligament tear in his right thumb, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak announced on Thursday.