Rob Manfred optimistic MLB stars will play at 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

• MLB exploring extended All-Star break for 2028 window

• Union approval, sponsorship deals key to final decision

• Participation seen as one-off given Brisbane 2032 limits

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is increasingly confident big league players will participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the US 2-0 in the gold medal game.