ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera was named Friday to the National League All-Star team as an injury replacement for Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani.
Tampa Bay pitcher Nick Martinez, Boston outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela and Chicago White Sox rookie first baseman Munetaka Murakami were named injury replacements in the American League.
All four players are first-time selections. The All-Star Game is Tuesday night in
at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
“It’s a dream,” the 26-year-old Herrera said. “Everybody thinks about going to an All-Star Game. You just can’t describe the feelings. I’m just excited for it and trying to take it all in right now.”
The Panama native entered Friday batting .249 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs and a .780 OPS. He has been hit by pitches a league-leading 24 times this season.
St. Louis signed Herrera as a 16-year-old undrafted free agent in 2016, and he will be joined by two first-time All-Star teammates, Jordan Walker and Riley O'Brien.
Ohtani is having fluid drained from his left knee, forcing him to miss the All-Star Game.
Murakami also will compete in the Home Run Derby. He was a star in Japan before signing with the White Sox and returned to action Friday after missing more than a month with a strained right hamstring. He entered Friday hitting .240 with 20 home runs and 41 RBIs.
Murakami replaces Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton, who has a right hip impingement.
Martinez replaces Boston pitcher Ranger Suarez, who spent his first nine seasons with Philadelphia before signing with the Red Sox during the offseason. Rafaela will fill in for eight-time All-Star and three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees.
Suarez went on the injured list with a strained left groin Thursday. Judge has not played since late Mary because of a stress fracture of a rib on his right side.
Rafaela is hitting a career-best .286 with eight homers, 39 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He becomes the third All-Star from the Red Sox, joining closer Aroldis Chapman and first baseman Willson Contreras.
Martinez entered Friday’s start against Seattle with the league’s ninth-lowest ERA among qualified pitchers at 2.61, He’s allowed three or fewer runs in 16 of 17 starts this season.
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