DENVER – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the all-star game’s leading vote-getter, will bat second in the American League lineup, with Marcus Semien in the six spot and Tesocar Hernandez eighth, manager Kevin Cash said Monday.
Two-way wonder Shohei Ohtani will both start on the mound and bat leadoff as the designated hitter because, “this is what the fans want to see,” said Cash.
To make it happen, he lobbied Major League Baseball to allow Ohtani to be treated as two separate players, meaning that he doesn’t need to removed as the DH when he’s replaced on the mound.
Hitting behind Ohtani and Guerrero Jr. are shortstop Xander Bogaerts, right-fielder Aaron Judge, third baseman Rafael Devers, Semien, catcher Salvador Perez, Hernandez and centre-fielder Cedric Mullins.
Max Scherzer gets the ball for the National League under manager Dave Roberts, who lines up his squad this way: shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., Max Muncy at DH, Nolan Arenado at third base, Freddie Freeman at first base, Nick Castellanos in right field, Jessie Winker in left field, catcher J.T. Realmuto, centre-fielder Bryan Reynolds and second baseman Adam Frazier.
