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Rays infielder replaces Alex Bregman on All-Star roster
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- Rays infielder replaces Alex Bregman on All-Star roster
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Jonathan Aranda was the only Tampa Bay Rays player to be named to the American League All-Star team on Sunday . But on Tuesday, MLB announced the injury replacements for the teams. That meant Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was named to his first All-Star Game, replacing Alex Bregman .
Caminero has unlocked his power swing this year, launching him to an All-Star bid. He hit seven homers in 50 games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, a 162-game pace of 23. This year, he has 21 homers in 85 games and is on pace for 37.8 this season. The 22-year-old has struggled defensively, but his rise offensively was enough to land him in the All-Star Game.
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The Rays' third baseman was invited to Atlanta because Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman is injured. He has not played since May 23 with a quad injury. Despite Bregman's return potentially coming before the break , he will not head down to Atlanta. He does get credit for the All-Star nod, however, which is the third of his career.
Caminero and the Rays both got off to cold starts to the season. After a loss on May 19, the team was 21-26, and Caminero had a .677 OPS. Since then, Tampa is 27-17, partly thanks to Caminero's .915 OPS and 13 homers. They needed big seasons from young prospects after trading Randy Arozarena last year. They got that and are in a playoff spot because of it.
The Rays end the first half with one more game against the Tigers, having already lost the first two games. Then, they head to Fenway for four huge games against the Boston Red Sox. A good weekend in Beantown and the Rays should maintain their spot in the AL Wild Card. But if they falter, as they have been recently, they could be behind Boston and looking for a big second half to make it to October.
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