The Los Angeles Dodgers had Cody Bellinger, Kenley Jansen, Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager named to the National League roster for the 2017 MLB All-Star Game. Manager Dave Roberts believed his team, which owns the best record in the NL, deserved to have six All-Stars.
Notable omissions are Alex Wood, who’s 9-0 and holds the lowest ERA (1.83) and FIP (2.11) among NL pitchers. Wood presumably would be among the top pitchers considered to replace another who’s unavailable for the All-Star Game.
As for Justin Turner, he entered play Sunday batting .388/.473/.565 with 16 doubles, seven home runs, 31 RBI and a 182 wRC+. He is among the group of five players for the final vote to make the NL roster.
On top of falling short of the bar Roberts set, the Dodgers are without a starter in the Midsummer Classic for a second consecutive year. In 2015, Joc Pederson became the organization’s first rookie to start in an All-Star Game.
Their best opportunity this year lied with Seager, who narrowed the gap on Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart to just over 100,000 votes heading into the final day of fan voting.
Cozart finished with 2,466,143 votes to Seager’s 2,380,026. Seager was named an NL All-Star last year, also as a reserve.
Like Seager, the bid is the second of Jansen’s career. Kershaw is the resident veteran, earning a seventh consecutive All-Star bid. Kershaw is one shy of matching Steve Garvey’s Dodgers’ record of eight straight All-Star selections, set from 1974-81.
Injury prevented Kershaw from pitching in the All-Star Game last year at Petco Park. Despite his string of selections, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has never started the game. That may hold true again this year, and Kershaw is also in danger of not so much as being eligible to pitch out of the bullpen.
He’s currently aligned to start for the Dodgers on Tuesday and in the club’s final game before the All-Star break on Sunday, July 9. Roberts allowed for a potential change in Sunday’s game.
Bellinger is the first position player in Dodgers history to make All-Star Game in his first season in Majors. Bellinger will participate in the Home Run Derby if his father is able to make the trip as well.
Last year the Dodgers only had three All-Star selections in Jansen, Kershaw and Seager.
