4 Royals elected All-Star starters
Houston second baseman Jose Altuve passed Kansas City’s Omar Infante in the final days of voting, leaving four Royals as starters for the All-Star Game.
Todd Frazier of the host Cincinnati Reds leapfrogged St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter and will be in the N.L. starting lineup for the July 14 game at Great American Ball Park.
The voting results were announced Sunday.
A.L. champion Kansas City will be represented in the starting lineup by outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon, catcher Salvador Perez and shortstop Alcides Escobar. Four players ties the A.L. record for fan-elected starters, achieved nine times previously.
Seattle’s Nelson Cruz, suspended for the final 50 games of the 2013 season for violating baseball’s drug agreement, was elected to start for the second straight year.
Toronto’s Josh Donaldson will start at third for the second straight year after receiving a record vote total of 14.09 million, topping Josh Hamilton’s 11.07 million in 2012. Trout was second this year with 14 million.
Washington outfielder Bryce Harper set a mark for N.L. players at 13.86 million, topping the previous record of 7.62 million set three years ago by San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, who was elected to start again.
At least two elected starters will miss the game because of injuries: Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton broke a hand on June 26 and Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera hurt his left calf Friday. In addition, the Cardinals’ Matt Holliday, who finished third among N.L. outfielders behind Harper and Stanton, has been sidelined since straining a quadriceps on June 8.
N.L. starters include Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Miami second baseman Dee Gordon and St. Louis shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who also was suspended 50 games following MLB’s investigation of the Biogenesis of America clinic.
Clearing the bases
The Nationals put pitcher Stephen Strasburg back on the 15-day disabled list, this time with a strained left oblique. Right-hander Taylor Jordan was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. Strasburg left Saturday’s game against the Giants after 3 2/3 scoreless innings because of tightness in his left side. Strasburg missed nearly four weeks earlier this season with neck tightness. In three starts since coming off the DL, the 26-year-old righty was 2-0 with a 1.15 ERA. Overall, Strasburg is 5-5 with a 5.16 ERA in 13 starts. … Dodgers starter Carlos Frias was placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back tightness. He had experienced lower back stiffness in his past two starts, and only went five innings in both. Frias is 5-5 with a 4.39 ERA in 14 games, including 12 starts. The Dodgers recalled LHP Daniel Coulombe from Triple A-Oklahoma City. … Cardinals LHP Jaime Garcia was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a groin strain. Garcia, who missed his previous scheduled start, suffered the injury running the bases on June 24 at Miami. Garcia is 3-3 with a 1.69 ERA in seven starts. Left-hander Tim Cooney was recalled from Class A Peoria and will start on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.