The NL All-Star team has three new faces. Saturday afternoon MLB announced Pirates outfielder Starling Marte, Padres lefty Drew Pomeranz, and Reds outfielder Jay Bruce have been added to the NL club as injury replacements.
Here are the current All-Star rosters. The new trio is replacing Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (quad), Mets righty Noah Syndergaard (arm), and Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler (hamstring) on the roster, all of whom are injured. MLB says Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna and Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez will replace Cespedes and Fowler in the starting lineup.
Marte, who lost the Final Vote to Giants first baseman Brandon Belt, is hitting .316/.360/.463 (119 OPS+) with six home runs and 27 steals so far this season. Add in his superb left field defense and Marte leads all full-time NL outfielders with 3.0 WAR. He's one of two Pirates on the All-Star roster, joining Mark Melancon.
Bruce is having a fine bounceback season after battling injuries the last two years. He's hitting .265/.313/.539 (121 OPS+) with 18 home runs in 81 games. His 18 home runs are fifth among all NL outfielders. All four guys ahead of him are All-Stars as well. Bruce joins teammate Adam Duvall on the All-Star team.
The Padres acquired Pomeranz from the A's over the winter, and he's rewarded them by going 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA (161 ERA+) in 17 starts and 102 innings. He's struck out 115 batters and currently ranks ninth among NL pitchers with 3.0 WAR. Seven of the eight guys ahead of him are All-Stars.
Pomeranz is joining Padres teammate Wil Myers and former Padres teammate Fernando Rodney on the All-Star roster. San Diego, of course, is the site of the 2016 All-Star Game, which will be played this coming Tuesday. Myers is set to participate in the Home Run Derby.
This is the first All-Star Game selection for both Marte and Pomeranz. Bruce has been to the All-Star twice before, in 2011 and 2012.
