M’s Robinson Cano selected as A.L. All-Star reserve

HOUSTON – After a one-year absence, Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano is heading back to the All-Star Game. And for now, at least, he’ll be the only Mariner on the American League roster.

Cano was picked as a reserve for the A.L. Tuesday when Major League Baseball revealed all but two of 68 players selected for the July 12 game at Petco Park in San Diego.

“It’s one of those things where you’re always excited,” Cano said. “For me, it’s going to mean a lot more this year because I’m going to be able to bring my son. It’s going to be a great moment, just having my son there.”

The 34th spot on each roster will be determined this week through the annual Final Vote process. Fans will determine the selection through an online vote from a choice of five players in each league.

There are no Mariners among the AL’s Final Vote candidates.

“From watching it every day,” manager Scott Servais said, “I appreciate how talented (Cano) is. And he’s taken on a much bigger leadership role – and I’ve asked him to (do so) – from the first day of spring training.”

This is Cano’s seventh overall All-Star selection in a 12-year career.

Nelson Cruz, 36, ranks as the Mariners’ most notable omission after being the A.L.’s starting designated hitter in the two previous seasons. Boston’s David Ortiz, in his final season, was a runaway winner this year for the honor.

Cruz carried a .280 average into Tuesday’s game with 21 homers and 56 RBIs, which put him on pace for a third straight 40-homer season.

Third baseman Kyle Seager, an All-Star in 2014, also failed to make the roster despite being on pace to set career highs in numerous offensive categories. He was batting .274 through Monday with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.

Cruz and Seager remain possible candidates for selection if injuries, as often happens, force a need to find replacements.

“They both have the numbers to go,” Cano said, “but it’s not over yet. We’ve got another week. It would be fun. It’s always good to have a teammate (on the All-Star team).”

Cano, 33, was voted by the fans as the A.L.’s starting second baseman for five straight years from 2010-14 before slumping badly last season, when he battled injuries.

“I would say I didn’t have to prove anything to myself,” he said. “Everybody knows that I was hurt. Sometimes, the comments are not valid because there are people who don’t know and don’t care if you’re hurt or not.

“They think you’re a machine. They think because you get paid a lot of money, you have to go out there and perform.

“We all want to do that. I wish every time I go to the plate that I’d hit a homer. I would like to retire as the guy with the most home runs, but it’s not going to happen.

“Even when I was in New York, a lot of people decided I was lazy. But I know how I work and how I prepare myself. I think a lazy guy wouldn’t be able to play that many games every year.

Cano answered critics through a a strong rebound season; he entered Tuesday with a .303 average along with 19 home runs and 54 RBIs. He finished second in the fan balloting to Houston’s Jose Altuve, who also started last year’s game.

“I love watching him,” Cano said. “He’s a guy who doesn’t need to hit the ball hard to get a base-hit. You see yesterday, he barely hit it past the pitcher, and he got two hits. That’s a guy who is really fun to watch, and he’s there every day.

“That’s something I really like about him. He’s there every day, and you never hear him complain about anything. The numbers he’s putting up are unbelievable. The numbers the last two years, he’s been raking.

“Everyone knows he’s a second baseman, but anyone would love to have that kind of season.”