Ohtani, Freeman lead Dodgers' four starters in All-Star Game

Shohei Ohtani will be joined in the National League's starting lineup by three teammates from the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball announced Saturday when it unveiled rosters for the 2026 All-Star Game.

Ohtani, who led all players in votes, will start as the NL's designated hitter, withFreddie Freemanat first base,Max Muncyat third andAndy Pagesin the outfield. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Ohtani is unlikely to pitch in the All-Star Game after the team adjusted his schedule.

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh, Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abramsand Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies and catcher Drake Baldwin will also start for the NL.

In the American League, leading vote-getter Ernie Clement is joined by Toronto Blue Jays teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the right side of the infield, along with Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. Guerrero said after rosters were announced that he would not participate, prompting Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, who won the player vote at his position, to take his place.

The Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout, the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge and the Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton will make up the AL's starting outfield.

The All-Star Game will take place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14. Starters were voted on by the fans, while the reserves were selected as a combination between Major League Baseball and ballots cast by current players, managers and coaches.

The Dodgers, Braves and Phillies are each sending an MLB-best five players to the All-Star Game. Along with the four starters, the Dodgers also have right-handerYoshinobu Yamamoto. The Braves will send Baldwin, Albies, first baseman Matt Olson, left-handerChris Sale and closerRaisel Iglesias, while the Phillies will send Marsh, first baseman Bryce Harper, DH Kyle Schwarber, left-handerCristopher Sanchez and closer Jhoan Duran.

For the AL, the Blue Jays, Yankees and Rays each have four All-Stars. The Jays have Clement, Guerrero, right-handerDylan Cease and closer Louis Varland. Judge, first baseman Ben Rice, outfielder Cody Bellinger and right-handerCam Schlittlerwill represent the Yankees, while theRays will send Caminero, DH Yandy Diaz, right-handerDrew Rasmussen and closer Bryan Baker.

This season's All-Star rosters feature a star-studded rookie class, with Travis Bazzana and Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians, Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers and Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds all making the team.

The full list of AL reserves, starting with position players:Dillon Dingler (Tigers), Adley Rutschman (Baltimore Orioles), Bazzana, Kurtz, McGonigle, Rice, Miguel Vargas (Chicago White Sox), Randy Arozarena (Seattle Mariners), Bellinger, Riley Greene (Tigers), Diaz, Baker, Cease, Aroldis Chapman (Boston Red Sox), Jacob Latz (Texas Rangers), Messick, Rasmussen, Joe Ryan (Twins), Schlittler, Cade Smith (Guardians), Ranger Suarez (Red Sox), Varland and Michael Wacha (Kansas City Royals).

The NL reserves areWilliam Contreras (Milwaukee Brewers), Hunter Goodman (Colorado Rockies), Luis Arraez (San Francisco Giants), Harper, Otto Lopez (Miami Marlins), Olson, Stewart, Corbin Carroll (Arizona Diamondbacks, Pete Crow-Armstrong (Chicago Cubs), Jordan Walker (St. Louis Cardinals), James Wood (Washington Nationals), Schwarber, Chase Burns (Reds), Duran, Iglesias, Max Meyer (Marlins), Mason Miller (San Diego Padres), Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers), Eduardo Rodriguez (Diamondbacks), Sale, Sanchez, Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates), Logan Webb (Giants) and Yamamoto.

Sanchez is the favorite to start the All-Star Game for the NL, given his Cy Young candidacy and the opportunity to pitch in his home ballpark. Like Ohtani, Misiorowski would have been a prime contender to start but is unlikely to pitch in the game because he is scheduled to start for the Brewers on July 12.

Schlittler, Rasmussen and Cease are candidates to start on the mound for the AL.

MLB once again designated one representative from each of its 30 teams and will go back to having players wear their original team uniforms for this year's All-Star Game, bucking the recent trend of specialized jerseys for the event.

Five of the starters -- Langeliers, Clement, Baldwin, Marsh and Pages -- are first-time All-Stars. Freeman and Sale, meanwhile, are going for the 10th time.

Trout is making his 12th trip to the All-Star Game and first since 2023, an event he did not attend because he was recovering from an injury to his left hand. Trout is currently on the injured list with a hamstring injury, but he is expected to be activated by early next week and expects to be on the field for this year's Midsummer Classic, which will take place close to where he grew up.

When Angels manager Kurt Suzuki announced in the clubhouse that Trout had made the All-Star team, Trout had his wife and two sons dialed up on videoconference, prompting the Angels' star center fielder to get emotional.

The first-place Dodgers, aiming to become the first NL team to win three consecutive championships, have had at least five players make the All-Star Game seven consecutive years.br/]