The Automatic Ball/Strike System (ABS) — which most of us know as the “Robo Umps” — was tinkered with by Major League Baseball recently.

The system, which is only used in the minor leagues as a run-up to potentially being put into play in the majors, initially had two components.

First was where the system made all of the ball and strike calls in a game with the home plate umpire serving as the “voice” of the system and signaling ball or strike. The second part was where the home plate umpire made the calls and the batter, catcher or pitcher could appeal the call and the ABS system had the final say.

MLB decided to do away with the full “Robo Umps” portion of the system and go strictly to a challenge system in the minor leagues, meaning that every game uses the challenge system, and each team gets two challenges per game. Just as with MLB replay challenges, if the call is upheld the team loses a challenge, but they retain the challenge if they were proven to be right.

Whether it’s just that there is more bad umpiring in the majors or that the potential of ABS is putting a spotlight on the issue, fans are wondering when — or if — the system is going to be installed at the major league level. Commissioner Rob Manfred recently said that the system would be tested in a “Major League spring training” before being officially implemented, but he was not clear if it would be tested next spring.

One person with knowledge of the system said, “I think it will be 2026 from what I have heard. I think at that point it will either be implemented or dropped completely because you reach a point where you either move ahead with it or just scrap it. It makes no sense to have it in the minors and not in the majors.”

Players definitely prefer the challenge system to the full ABS system. When challenges are done in the minors, the call by the umpire is often upheld or the outcome shows the call was very close, many times with a distance of less than an inch between where the ball was and what was called by the human umpire.

One issue seems simple, but actually turns out to be complex. What is the strike zone? We know the old “from the letters to the knees” rule, but uniforms and players vary. Some uniforms have larger letters on the front of the uniform than others with bigger font, and is it the top of the letters, the middle of the letters, or the bottom? Also, the strike zone for Aaron Judge of the Yankees (6-7) is very different from that of Rafael Marchan (5-9).

Another minor concern — and it always comes back to this — is length of the game. If challenges are successful, there can be any number of delays, each lasting 30 to 60 seconds from the time the play is challenged until play resumes. It’s easy to say, “What’s a couple extra minutes?,” but for Major League Baseball, it’s actually a mild concern.

FAILURE TO LAUNCH … Darick Hall has hit 69 home runs as a member of the IronPigs. So has Andy Tracy. The two are among the biggest fan favorites in the history of the franchise and their home run totals top the leaderboard for career home runs as an IronPig. Fans were hoping to see home run No. 70 from Hall this past week during a homestand, but it didn’t happen. Hall’s last home run came on July 5 in Scranton, and the team currently is off for the annual All-Star Break and will play again Friday at Coca-Cola Park against Worcester.

IS IT REALLY AN ALL-STAR BREAK? ... Philosophically speaking. Can you have an All-Star Break if you don’t have an All-Star Game. The Triple-A All-Star Game was played in the Lehigh Valley back in 2010. After the game was canceled by COVID in 2020 and then canceled again the following season because of the late start to the season, it simply went by the wayside. While fans loved the game and the accompanying Home Run Derby and festivities, MLB decided it was just not needed.

STATE OF THE STANDINGS … Lehigh Valley is playing much better in the second half and is 12-6 after going 34-39 in the first half. They are currently one game behind Rochester (Orioles) for the top spot in the IL East, which is coincidentally also the top spot in the IL, which is where they need to finish for a spot in the Triple-A Championship Game in Las Vegas. At one time, the game circulated among Triple-A cities, but is now anchored to Las Vegas, which may change when the Oakland A’s move to Sin City. Lehigh Valley hosted the game in September of 2013 when the Omaha Storm Chasers downed the Durham Bulls to win the Triple-A championship.

CRUISING UP A LEVEL … Carlos De La Cruz played 232 games over three seasons with Double-A Reading before finally being elevated to Lehigh Valley last week. The 24-year-old first baseman and outfielder hit .263 with 39 home runs and 125 RBIs with the Fightins, and after his first six games with Lehigh Valley is batting .269 with five RBIs. By the way, the Phillies top position prospect, Justin Crawford, will not be returning to Jersey Shore after his stint with the NL team in the Futures Game this past weekend. The Phillies promoted him to Reading where he will report on Friday. The Fightins return to play Friday but are on the road until July 30.