Which players are worthy of participating July 17 in Washing

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Now that fan voting is finished , it’s a good time to take a hard look at All-Star Game selections.
Let’s touch on this topic first: Shohei Ohtani is incredibly talented and fascinating to watch, but the Los Angeles Angels‘ two-way Japanese star simply hasn’t been on the field enough to earn a spot. Not at pitcher OR designated hitter.

Ohtani just returned to the lineup from an elbow injury that’s knocked him off the mound for now. He’s only made nine major league pitching starts, and the Angels have limited his at-bats all season due to concerns about the rookie’s workload.

So while it would definitely be fun to see him in baseball’s summer showcase, there are several more deserving American League sluggers at DH. It wouldn’t be fair to deny one of them in favor of Ohtani. And he’s unavailable to pitch at this point.

Let him win his invitation next season with a fully healthy and productive first half. Or the year after that. Or whenever it happens.

Buzzkill, I know.

But even without Ohtani, there’s plenty to watch for leading up to the first All-Star Game in the nation’s capital since the Senators hosted at RFK Stadium in 1969.

Start with Atlanta outfielder Nick Markakis. With more than 2,150 career hits, he’s poised to make an All-Star team for the first time in his 13th big league season.

Matt Kemp, Miles Mikolas and Mike Foltynewicz are enjoying feel-good comebacks.

Robinson Cano, the MVP of last year’s game , will sit this one out while serving a drug suspension.

Injuries may keep familiar stars such as Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Correa and Corey Seager from returning, but in their place should be exciting newcomers like Aaron Nola, Ozzie Albies, Alex Bregman and Eddie Rosario.

The American League has won five times in a row and is 17-3-1 in the last 21 years.

”I want to win. I always want to win. It’s not playing for home-field advantage anymore in the World Series, but all these guys are competitors and they want to win for their respective league,” said National League manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There’s a logjam at shortstop in the AL, and the NL bullpen is loaded.

That sort of thing is where it gets complicated: Each roster has 32 spots, with 12 going to pitchers. Every club must be represented, too.

Online voting for the starters at each position ended at midnight Thursday , and the teams will be revealed Sunday night.

”I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be a great experience,” said Houston’s AJ Hinch, who will manage the AL squad. ”It’s as casual a game as you’ll play with the biggest names on the stage, and all the attention that comes with it. It’s a big deal.”

Disregarding fan and player balloting, here are our picks:

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

FIRST BASE – Jose Abreu of the White Sox gets the start, barely nudging out Toronto switch-hitter Justin Smoak.

SECOND BASE – AL MVP Jose Altuve from the World Series champion Astros is backed up by 34-year-old Oakland veteran Jed Lowrie, whose first All-Star nod is probably long overdue.

SHORTSTOP – Cleveland whiz Francisco Lindor is in the lineup. Top trade target Manny Machado from lowly Baltimore, and Jean Segura from Seattle are on the bench. Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons of the Angels is really tough to leave out.

THIRD BASE – Jose Ramirez gives the Indians both starters on the left side of the infield. Bregman backs up at the hot corner, from Houston.

CATCHER – Wilson Ramos is a big reason the Rays are holding their own. Perennial pick Salvador Perez represents the struggling Royals despite his subpar season.

OUTFIELD – Angels star Mike Trout plays center, with Boston’s Mookie Betts in left and Yankees masher Aaron Judge in right. Reserves include Rosario from the Twins, Mitch Haniger from the Mariners , and Nicholas Castellanos from the Tigers.

DESIGNATED HITTER – J.D. Martinez has been worth every penny during his first season in Boston. Texas’ Shin-Soo Choo and New York hulk Giancarlo Stanton, last year’s NL MVP, both still play the outfield sometimes, which helps. Seattle slugger Nelson Cruz is a very difficult omission.

STARTING PITCHERS – Luis Severino is in line to become the first Yankees pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Roger Clemens in 2001. Other right-handers include Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton from Houston, plus Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer from Cleveland. The left-handers are Boston ace Chris Sale and Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell. Seattle lefty James Paxton is our top pick to replace Verlander, who doesn’t plan to pitch in the All-Star Game because he’s scheduled to start two days before.

RELIEVERS – Four filthy closers in the bullpen: Yankees lefty Aroldis Chapman, plus right-handers Craig Kimbrel (Boston), Edwin Diaz (Seattle) and Blake Treinen (Oakland).

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

FIRST BASE – Braves cornerstone Freddie Freeman starts over Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt, who overcame a miserable May with a monster June.

SECOND BASE – The unexpected starter at a competitive position is Scooter Gennett from the Reds. Right behind him are flashy Javier Baez from the Cubs and 21-year-old igniter Ozzie Albies from the surprising Braves.

SHORTSTOP – San Francisco pro Brandon Crawford is backed up by Colorado bopper Trevor Story.

THIRD BASE – No The Chargers and Rams will meet on the field on Sunday, but both teams are trying to achieve a common goal off it — trying to reignite Los Angeles’ passion for the NFL.The progress so far mirrors the tour of the LA Stadium at the Hollywood Park site in Inglewood — a slow build.“The wheel is starting to spin faster , and it is heading in the right direction. We understand that it is going to take time,” said Chargers chief marketing and strategy officer Jeffrey Pollack.“The live NFL experience took a 20-year hiatus from Los Angeles. What we both share is trying to reignite the love for the live NFL experience.”Sunday’s game at the LA Memorial Coliseum marks the sixth time that two Los Angeles teams will meet. The previous time was Nov. 13, 1994, when the Raiders defeated the Rams 20-17 at Anaheim Stadium.Both teams cite increased season ticket and single-game sales, but the TV ratings remain low. The Nielsen rating for the Chargers’ game in Buffalo last Sunday was 7.9 while the Rams’ game against the Cardinals drew a 5.6 locally.That was a big drop from Week 1, when the Monday Night game against the Raiders drew a 16.7.The Chargers averaged a 6.0 locally last season in their first season back in Los Angeles. The bigger concern might be the Rams, who averaged a 9.0 when they moved to LA in 2016 but fell to 8.0 last season despite winning the NFC West.For both teams, the ratings aren’t close to what they averaged in their former homes. The Rams had a 19.7 rating in St. Louis in 2015 and the Chargers a 24.4 in San Diego in 2016.Both teams though are quick to point out that the television measuring audience in LA compared to the other two markets is more than five times as large.Despite the low TV ratings, Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff sees signs of growth elsewhere. He pointed out that attendance at training camp in Irvine increased this season and that fans were more engaged at last week’s Cardinals game despite the Rams putting it away at halftime.“Whether it is seeing more T-shirts at the farmer’s market or hats at the beach it is great to see this team growing in the collective subconscious,” he said.Both teams are building their hopes toward 2020, when they move into the new stadium. Tuesday’s tour was the first opportunity reporters and most team executives got to see construction from the floor of the stadium , which is half completed. Installation of the massive roof panels has already started.The new stadium will seat 70,240, including 260 luxury suites and 13,000 premium seats.“It looks like a stadium now,” Chargers President of Business Operations A.G. Spanos said. “To be inside the bowl and see the shape of it you can visualize what it is going to look like.”Sunday’s game between the Chargers (1-1) and Rams (2-0) at the LA Memorial Coliseum will be another barometer in how much growth remains not only for the rest of this season, but in being able to draw fans to the new stadium.Both teams are considered playoff contenders, and it’s possible they could meet in Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta.In a sports marketplace that will only get more crowded next month with a probable Dodgers’ postseason appearance and LeBron James debut with the Lakers, Rams coach Sean McVay sees room for everyone.“I think there’s a lot of opportunities because of the fans and because of all the different resources at our disposal that there’s enough room for two good football teams,” he said.“That’s what we want to try to do — continue to try to put out a product that our fans can be proud of and something that they want to come out and support.”___Follow Joe Reedy at www.twitter.com/joereedy___

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