Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is expected to start for the National League in the All-Star Game, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday. Ryu has a league-best ERA of 1.83 and is second in wins with nine.
The news comes on the same day it was revealed that two other Dodgers starters — Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler — had been added to the All-Star squad. They join teammate Cody Bellinger, the MVP-candidate outfielder who was voted in as a starter.
It was the eighth All-Star selection for Kershaw, tied for most in this season’s game with Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who was voted in to his eighth last week.
Three Houston pitchers — Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and reliever Ryan Pressly — were also added to the All-Star team Sunday, giving the Astros six All-Stars, the most in the majors. Houston third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielders George Springer and Michael Brantley had already been voted in as American League starters.
Manager Alex Cora’s AL squad also added New York Yankees flamethrower Aroldis Chapman to the pitching staff, as well as starters Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox and Jake Odorizzi of the Minnesota Twins, who are in a tie for the AL lead in wins with 10; and Mike Minor of the Texas Rangers and Charlie Morton of the Tampa Bay Rays, who are 1-2 in the league in ERA. The Toronto Blue Jays‘ Marcus Stroman, the Detroit Tigers‘ Shane Greene, the Cleveland Indians‘ Brad Hand and the Baltimore Orioles‘ John Means round out the pitchers.
Cora also gets two players from his Red Sox team, outfielder Mookie Betts and designated hitter J.D. Martinez, as well as Indians fan favorite Francisco Lindor. The game will be played at Cleveland’s Progressive Field on July 9.
White Sox catcher James McCann and first baseman Jose Abreu were also named to the AL team, as were Rangers slugger Joey Gallo, Matt Chapman of the Oakland Athletics, Tommy La Stella of the Angels, Daniel Vogelbach of the Seattle Mariners, Austin Meadows of the Rays and Whit Merrifield of the Kansas City Royals
In the National League, the Washington Nationals‘ Max Scherzer was named to his seventh All-Star team and the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Zack Greinke to his sixth, but most of the rest of the pitching staff features players making their first All-Star appearances: Mike Soroka of the Atlanta Braves, Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, Luis Castillo of the Cincinnati Reds, Will Smith of the San Francisco Giants and Kirby Yates of the San Diego Padres. The Mets’ Jacob deGrom, making his third appearance, and the Milwaukee Brewers‘ Josh Hader, making his second, round out the NL pitchers.
Mets rookie Pete Alonso and Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Josh Bell — who will both compete in the Home Run Derby — were added to the NL squad, along with Alonso’s teammate, outfielder Jeff McNeil, also making his first appearance on the team.
Roberts’ team will have three catchers, with the Brewers’ Yasmani Grandal and the Philadelphia Phillies‘ J.T. Realmuto joining starter Willson Contreras of the Chicago Cubs.
Two Colorado sluggers, outfielders Charlie Blackmon and shortstop Trevor Story, were named to the NL squad along with teammate David Dahl. The Cubs’ Kris Bryant, the St. Louis Cardinals‘ Paul DeJong, the Brewers’ Mike Moustakas and the Nationals’ Anthony Rendon round out the squad.
