Overview

• Yusei Kikuchi secured his second All-Star nod but will skip the midsummer exhibition after being scheduled to start for the Angels on July 12 against the Diamondbacks.
• Major League Baseball named Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen as Kikuchi’s replacement to preserve pitching depth for the American League.
• Rookie All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto will also forgo his All-Star outing due to a July 13 starting assignment for the Dodgers.
• Shohei Ohtani topped the National League fan vote among position players and will start the July 15 game as the designated hitter.
• The roster changes underscore MLB’s commitment to pitcher rest policies and highlight the growing influence of Japanese talent on All-Star selections.