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MLB notes: Reds’ Todd Frazier takes on Rangers’ Prince Fielder in new format for Home Run Derby

Reds’ Todd Frazier will take his home run swing in front of the home crowd on Monday. (Associated Press)
Reds’ Todd Frazier will take his home run swing in front of the home crowd on Monday. (Associated Press)

The Reds’ Todd Frazier is paired with two-time champion Prince Fielder of Texas in the first round of Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby in Cincinnati.

In this year’s new format, Chicago Cubs rookie Kris Bryant is in a pairing with the Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols, Toronto’s Josh Donaldson is in a bracket with the Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo, and Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson takes on Baltimore’s Manny Machado.

The Frazier-Fielder winner faces Donaldson or Rizzo, and the Bryant-Pujols winner goes against Pederson or Machado.

Brackets were based on season home run totals through Tuesday.

Each batter gets five minutes per round, and home runs in each batter’s final minute stop the clock. Players can earn up to 1 minute, 30 seconds of bonus time based on home run distance.

Bryant said his father, Mike, will throw to him. Mike Bryant taught Kris to hit at a young age, passing along the lessons he learned from Ted Williams during the two spring trainings he was a Boston Red Sox farmhand in the early 1980s.

“I’m probably doing it more for him so he can experience it with me,” Kris Bryant said Wednesday. “We always talked about it growing up and now it’s here.”

Fielder won the derby in 2009 and 2012. He will be participating for the sixth time,

Cruz belts longest homer

Seattle’s Nelson Cruz has the longest home run in the major leagues this season, and Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton has the three longest in the N.L., according to the sport’s new Statcast computer system.

Cruz hit a drive projected at 483 feet against Texas’ Wandy Rodriguez on April 29.

Distance is calculated as the projected landing point at ground level.

Stanton hit a home run projected at 479 feet off St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez on June 23 following 478-foot drives versus Atlanta’s Alex Wood on May 16 and Colorado’s Eddie Butler on June 5.

Clearing the bases

Royals RHP Yordano Ventura will come off the DL today to start the series finale against Tampa Bay, and LHP Jason Vargas is expected to return from the DL after the All-Star break. Both have been out since early June. … The Rays will bring RHP Jake Odorizzi off the DL and start him Saturday against Houston. … The Yankees got two of their stars back, activating CF Jacoby Ellsbury and LHP Andrew Miller from the DL. … Nationals CF Denard Span will be sidelined through the All-Star break because of lingering back spasms. … LHP Nick Hagadone has been put on the Indians’ 15-day DL due to a strained lower back. … Tim Welke will be the home plate umpire for next week’s All-Star Game. Jerry Meals (first base), Paul Schrieber (second base), Ron Kulpa (third base), James Hoye (left field) and Alan Porter (right field) have also been assigned to next Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic.