BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox will be retiring Big Papi’s No. 34 on June 23.

The team said Thursday it will be honoring David Ortiz before Boston plays that day against the Los Angeles Angels. The Red Sox had said before his final regular-season game at home last season that the ceremony would be held during the 2017 season.

Known for his towering homers and clutch playoff moments, Ortiz became a beloved figure in his 14 seasons in Boston.

The 10-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion retired at age 40 after Boston was swept out of the AL division series in 2016 by the Cleveland Indians. He went out in historic fashion, hitting 38 homers – the most for a 40-year-old and for a player in his final season. His 483 home runs with the Red Sox trail only Ted Williams’ 521 on the franchise’s career list.

Ortiz’s number will be the 11th retired by the Red Sox, joining Bobby Doerr (1), Joe Cronin (4), Johnny Pesky (6), Carl Yastrzemski (8), Ted Williams (9), Jim Rice (14), Wade Boggs (26), Carlton Fisk (27), Pedro Martinez (45) and Jackie Robinson’s No. 42, which is retired throughout Major League Baseball.

ALL-STAR GAME: Cleveland will host the 2019 game, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press on Thursday. The team will hold a news conference Friday at Progressive Field to formally announce the event, last held in Cleveland in 1997.

Hosting the midseason’s showcase is another boost for the Indians, who won their first AL pennant since ’97 last season and pushed the Chicago Cubs to seven games before losing the World Series.

When the Indians hosted the game in ’97, Indians catcher Sandy Alomar hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning and was selected as the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player.

The city also hosted the game in 1935, 1954, 1963 and 1981 at Municipal Stadium, which was torn down in the 1990s.

CUBS: Chicago added pitching depth by finalizing a one-year contract with left-hander Brett Anderson.

The oft-injured Anderson figures to compete with Mike Montgomery for the fifth spot in the Cubs’ rotation. He was limited to three starts and one relief appearance with the Dodgers last year after going 10-9 with a 3.69 ERA in a career-high 31 starts in 2015, helping the Dodgers win the NL West title.

NATIONALS: Backup infielder Stephen Drew agreed to a one-year contract worth a reported $3.5 million. Drew, who turns 34 in March, hit .266 with eight homers and 21 RBI in 143 at-bats over 70 games with Washington last season.

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