Guardians enter All-Star break poised for another run

All hope is not lost as the Guardians enter the All-Star break.

State of play: Cleveland's record is 45-45 at the traditional midway point of the season.

• That's good for first place in the AL Central, a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Twins.
• Plus: The Guardians have a winning record over the past month and reached the .500 mark last week for the first time since April.

The other side: The Guardians have hit just 60 home runs, the fewest among all MLB teams. The next lowest total is 75 by the Washington Nationals.

• The signing of free agent Josh Bell was supposed to boost the offense, but he's hitting a paltry .231 with 9 homers.

Between the lines: There's talk the Guardians could trade former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, who has a 5-6 record, to a contender for hitting help.

What's next: The team kicks off the second half of the season in Pittsburgh on July 17 before returning to Progressive Field for a series against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 21.

Worthy of your time: Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby takes place tonight, and the annual All-Star Game is tomorrow night in Seattle.

• Guardians third baseman José Ramírez and closer Emmanuel Clase are on the American League team.