BASEBALL MOURNS SUDDEN DEATH OF SHOHEI OHTANI: The sports world has been rocked by the tragic news that Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani has passed away.

Shohei Ohtani and Shota Imanaga make All-Star team as MLB reveals rosters

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani was named to the NL All-Star team for the first time after being named to the AL squad three times.

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani was named to the NL All-Star team for the first time after being named to the AL squad three times.

NEW YORK – Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani earned his fourth consecutive All-Star Game starting spot, while Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga became an All-Star in his first season, as the rosters for the MLB All-Star Game were revealed on Sunday.

Fan voting determined the starters for the National League and American League squads. While fans elected the starters, the players and league office voted on pitchers and reserves. The results of the fan vote were released July 4. The full rosters were unveiled on Sunday, with the Philadelphia Phillies sending an MLB-high and franchise-record seven players to this year’s Midsummer Classic, slated for July 16 in Arlington, Texas.

Ohtani, who was voted in as a starter on Thursday, is an All-Star for the fourth straight year and for the first time in the National League, after making three straight appearances with the Los Angeles Angels in the American League. Ohtani, who leads the NL with 28 home runs, is batting .316 with 65 RBIs.

Imanaga made the team as an MLB rookie following his eight NPB seasons with the DeNA BayStars. The left-hander is 7-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 92 innings across 16 starts.

Imanaga got off to a fast beginning in the majors. He won his first five starts and was the fourth pitcher in Cubs history with five or more wins in their first nine MLB starts. He also began his career with an 18⅓-inning scoreless streak. He was the NL Rookie of the month for March-April, becoming the first Cub to win the award since Seiya Suzuki in April 2022.

The AL and NL rosters both skew young, with a total of 32 first-time All-Stars. That includes Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes, Cincinnati Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz and 21-year-old San Diego Padres infielder Jackson Merrill.

Skenes is the first player to be voted to the All-Star Game in the season after being selected No. 1 overall in the MLB draft.

New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge for the AL and first baseman Bryce Harper of Philadelphia for the NL were decided from the first wave of fan balloting with the remainder of the starting lineups named in a second round.

Harper leads all All-Star starters with his seventh overall start.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who will make his sixth All-Star start, is batting .308 with 13 homers and 13 stolen bases. Altuve joins fellow AL starters Yordan Alvarez of Houston at designated hitter, Juan Soto of the Yankees at outfielder, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan and third baseman Jose Ramirez, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman.

On the NL side, joining Ohtani and Harper will be Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, Philles shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm plus outfielders Christian Yelich of Milwaukee and Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr. of San Diego.

Pitchers named to the squads include the hottest of the MLB campaign: 11-win hurlers Seth Lugo, a Kansas City Royals right-hander, for the AL and Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale for the NL.

Also chosen were lefty 10-game winners Ranger Suarez of Philadelphia in the NL and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers in the AL.