APNewsBreak: MLB studying raise of strike zone's bottom

Baseball's strike zone could be getting a slight lift.

In this Jan. 21, 2016, file photo, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during a news conference at a meeting of MLB owners, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Major League Baseball is studying whether to raise the bottom of the strike zone from the hollow beneath the kneecap back to the top of the kneecap.

During an interview with The Associated Press on his anniversary as baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred said Monday: "I'm not in a position to predict whether it's going to happen or not."

Strike zone data was included in a presentation given to owners at their meeting last week.

An agreement with the players' association would be necessary to make a change for this year.

The debate comes following a decade-and-a-half decline in offense before a slight uptick in the second half last season.