Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras has been added to the American League roster for the MLB All-Star Game, replacing Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Contreras, 34, earned the fourth All-Star selection of his career. In his first season with Boston, he is batting .284 with 20 home runs and 59 RBIs through 86 games.
The move comes as Guerrero continues to deal with back issues. Guerrero, 27, had been selected to his sixth consecutive All-Star team but was ruled out of the July 14 game in Philadelphia. He is batting .263 with four home runs and 35 RBIs in 86 games this season.
Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz had already been named the American League’s starting first baseman in Guerrero’s place. Kurtz, 23, is hitting .275 with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs in 89 games.
Contreras has played 11 major league seasons with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Red Sox. He is a career .260 hitter with 192 home runs and 607 RBIs in 1,164 games.
The National League also made several changes to its pitching staff. St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Riley O’Brien, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo and Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft were added as replacements for Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski and Miami Marlins right-hander Max Meyer.
Skenes, Misiorowski and Meyer were unavailable because of recent starting assignments. Each had scheduled starts on Tuesday and Sunday, with the Sunday outings making them ineligible to appear in the All-Star Game.
Skenes is 6-8 with a 3.62 ERA in 18 starts. Misiorowski, 24, is 10-4 and leads the majors with a 1.62 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 18 starts. Meyer, 27, is 9-1 with a 2.53 ERA in 18 starts.
O’Brien, 31, is tied for the National League lead with 22 saves alongside San Diego Padres star Mason Miller. He is 3-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 36 appearances. Luzardo, 28, is 7-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 18 starts, while Ashcraft, 26, is 9-3 with a 3.24 ERA in 18 starts.
The American League will also need another roster adjustment after Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday because of a hip injury. Buxton had been selected as a starting outfielder and is batting .271 with 25 home runs and 45 RBIs in 75 games.
Lucas Durden
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