Ernie Clement and Dylan Cease will both start in the Midsummer Classic. Here's how they factor in.
After Monday night's Home Dun Derby kicks off All-Star Week, the American League will play the National League in this year's iteration of the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET.
The game will take place at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Three members of the Toronto Blue Jays will be participating in the All-Star Game, which is managed on the American League side by Jays' skipper John Schneider.
He earned the honor after guiding the Jays to the World Series a season ago.
Both Dylan Cease (pitcher) and Ernie Clement (second base) will start the contest for the AL while Louis Varland comes out of the bullpen. As noted by Schneider's lineup, released on Monday, Clement will hit ninth behind Riley Greene of the Detroit Tigers. The full lineup can be seen below.
Mike Trout will hit leadoff in his return to the Mid-Atlantic region. He's a New Jersey native, but he grew up right outside of Philadelphia and is a massive Philadelphia sports fan when it's not Angels season.
About Cease's season
Signed to a seven-year deal worth $210 million in the offseason, Cease has lived up to the billing for Toronto, going 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA. In 98.1 innings, he's struck out 148 batters, leading the American League. He's made 17 starts despite missing some time with a hamstring issue.
He's on track for his sixth straight season of 30 starts or more and his sixth straight season of 200 strikeouts or more.
In a season full of injury issues for Toronto, he's been a stabilizing force, outside of the time he spent on the injured list himself.
This is his first All-Star Game appearance. He will be the fourth Blue Jays pitcher to start the All-Star Game, joining Dave Stieb (1983-84), David Wells (2000) and Roy Halladay (2009).
About Clement's season
Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement (22) flips his bat after hitting two-run home run during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Denis Poroy-Imagn ImagesClement was the top vote getter in the American League, and he'll get the nod at second base as the result. It's his first trip to the All-Star Game also.
It's been an excellent season for Clement, who is hitting .296 with eight homers, 32 RBIs and a .318 on-base percentage. He's carrying an OPS+ of 102, and is also helping carry a Blue Jays lineup that has been hampered by injuries.
In addition to all the losses on the pitching front, Toronto has seen George Springer, Anthony Santander, Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger on the injured list at various points. Santander has yet to play this season because of offseason surgery on his left labrum. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has also not turned in his usual production, as he has only six homers at the break.
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