ARLINGTON, Texas — The All-Star Game hosts will have a starter, after all.
Major League Baseball on Thursday announced that Marcus Semien will start at second base for the American League in next week's Midsummer Classic at Globe Life Field in Arlington. Semien was firmly behind Jose Altuve in fan voting for the second base position, but word came down Thursday that Altuve has dropped out of the game.
And so, Semien slid in.
Astros beat writer Chandler Rome reported that Altuve is skipping the game to rest his sore left hand.
Utilityman Willi Castro will replace Altuve on the All-Star Game roster, while Semien replaces him in the Bruce Bochy-managed starting lineup.
The lineup switch gives the Rangers their lone starter in the All-Star Game at their home stadium. Reliever Kirby Yates is the Rangers' other All-Star, but he'll only be making an appearance out of the bullpen.
Semien isn't having his strongest season at the plate, with only a .235 batting average and a below-average .303 on-base percentage. But he's making up for it in the field, leading all of baseball with 14 outs above average, according to Statcast. He's also tied for fourth in baseball in defensive Wins Above Replacement (WAR) at 1.3.
This will mark Semien's second consecutive appearance as an All-Star Game starter. He was among four Rangers infielders who started last year in Seattle.
Semien and the Rangers are trying to claw their way back into contention, or at least having a chance at contention in the second half of the season. Texas had won five games in a row before losing Wednesday night to the Angels. The Rangers currently sit at 44-49 on the season, 6.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West.
