Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies will lead off for the National League in the upcoming All-Star Game, stepping in as a replacement for designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is opting out of the showcase to undergo a knee procedure as the second half of the season approaches.
In the American League, several players have earned starting spots due to injuries, including Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene, New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, and outfielder Cody Bellinger. Rice, who currently ranks third in the majors with 29 home runs, will take the field at first base after Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. decided to skip the game to rest a troublesome back. Guerrero’s original replacement, Nick Kurtz of the Athletics, is sidelined with a sprained thumb.
Bellinger is stepping in for Yankees teammate Aaron Judge, who has been out since May 31 with a fractured rib. Greene replaces Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, who is dealing with a hip injury. Bellinger will patrol right field, while Greene will take over in left.
The starting pitchers for the game have also been announced, with Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez and Toronto’s Dylan Cease set to take the mound. Sánchez will make history as the 14th pitcher to start an All-Star Game in his home ballpark, following in the footsteps of Clayton Kershaw, who did so in 2022. This marks the first time the Phillies have had an All-Star starting pitcher since Roy Halladay in 2011.
In the National League lineup, manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers has three of his players starting, along with two from the Phillies and two from the Braves. Following Schwarber, New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto will bat second, with Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, Washington shortstop CJ Abrams, Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies, Phillies right fielder Brandon Marsh, Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages, and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin rounding out the lineup.
On the American League side, manager John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays has Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout leading off, followed by Yordan Alvarez at designated hitter. The lineup continues with Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Bellinger, Rice, Greene, and Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement. Cease will be the Blue Jays’ first All-Star starting pitcher since Halladay in 2009.
Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.
