Guardians Add Deserving Candidate to MLB All-Star Starting Nine

The Cleveland Guardians saw two position players selected to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game in third baseman Jose Ramirez and second baseman Andres Gimenez. Neither one was voted in by fans as the starter, though. That is no longer the case with Gimenez taking over for an injured Jose Altuve.

As it should've been all along, Andrés Giménez will now start at second base for José Altuve during the 2022 All-Star Game on Tuesday in LA.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/qp1NsjNC1U
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 16, 2022

Andres Gimenez All-Star Game

Altuve was struck on the left knee during the Houston Astros' Thursday night game and was out of the lineup on Friday as a result. There's no reason to risk further injury during the All-Star Game. Santiago Espinal of the Toronto Blue Jays was announced as his replacement on the roster.

Gimenez is making the first All-Star game appearance in his career and his efforts have helped the Guardians stay in the running for an American League Wild Card spot. Of course, he was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Mets that sent shortstop Francisco Lindor to New York in January of 2021.

The 23-year-old is slashing .299/.357/.482 across 78 games played to go along with 32 runs scored, 12 doubles, 2 triples, 10 home runs, 43 RBI and 7 stolen bases. Gimenez has also come up clutch at the most important times, showcased by his .384 batting average with runners in scoring position.

Cleveland fans looking to see Gimenez in action should tune in to FOX at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night for the start of the MLB All-Star Game. For now, the Guardians have odds set at +450 to win the AL Central division and odds set at +10000 to win the World Series, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.