Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani waits for a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Los Angeles.
12:55 JST, July 4, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has become the first player to be selected as the designated hitter in four consecutive All-Star Games. He and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge are the only players left from last year in the lineups announced Wednesday for the July 16 game in Arlington, Texas.
Philadelphia would have three of the National League’s four infielders at its disposal after fans voted to start shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm, alongside first baseman Bryce Harper, whose status is uncertain due to a leg injury.
According to Major League Baseball, this is the first time that no more than one player has been selected as a starter in each league since fan voting resumed in 1970.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge is congratulated in the dugout after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning of a baseball game on Friday, June 28, 2024, in Toronto.
Six teams each have two starters: Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was selected along with Judge, who earned his spot last week with Harper as each league’s top-vote recipients in the first round of voting. The second round ran from Sunday to Wednesday.
Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman and shortstop Gunnar Henderson were selected, along with Houston second baseman Jose Altuve and DH Yordan Alvarez; Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez and outfielder Steven Kwan; San Diego outfielders Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr.; and Milwaukee catcher William Contreras and outfielder Christian Yelich.
Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte were also selected.
Philadelphia last had three infielders selected in 1982 with Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt and Manny Trillo. Harper went on the injured list on June 28 with a strained left hamstring, but was able to return for the All-Star Game.
Tatis has not played since June 21 due to a stress reaction in his right thigh and could be sidelined after the All-Star break.
The pitchers and reserves will be announced on Sunday.
Ohtani is an All-Star for the fourth straight season, but his first since leaving the Los Angeles Angels for a record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers. He was an unprecedented two-way All-Star from 2021-23, but he is not pitching this season as he recovers from reconstructive elbow surgery.
David Ortiz was the starting DH in the All-Star Games three times in a row from 2011 to 2013.
Altuve earned his ninth All-Star trip and sixth as a starter, Ramírez his sixth selection and third as a starter and Guerrero his fourth overall and third as a starter.
Alvarez, Bohm, Contreras, Henderson, Kwan, Profar, Rutschman and Soto are among the eight debuting starters. Soto is making his fourth All-Star trip, his first for the AL.
“It means a lot. It’s hard work,” Soto said at Yankee Stadium. “I’ve been working hard. I finally got my first start, so that’s pretty cool.”
No players were selected to start for the host Rangers, who had four starters in Seattle last year: second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Josh Jung and catcher Jonah Heim.
Profar first became an All-Star in his 11th season in the big leagues. He remained on the free-agent market until a week into spring training before agreeing to a $1 million, one-year contract with the Padres.
In the closest NL vote, Tatis (15.36%) defeated the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández (15.26%) and the Phillies’ Brandon Marsh (14.73%) for the third outfield spot. Turner outscored injured Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts 51-49%.
In the AL, Alvarez outscored Baltimore’s Ryan O’Hearn 52-48% as DH and Kwan outscored the Orioles’ Anthony Santander 28-26% for the final outfield spot.
During the first round of voting from June 5 to 27, Guerrero trailed Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle, Hernández was ahead of Tatis and Betts was ahead of Turner.
