Which Cubs will make ASG? Tune in Sunday

CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant appeared to have the momentum to earn the starting nod at third base for the National League All-Star team. That changed when the tallies reset to zero for the second wave of balloting.

Phase 2 of Google MLB All-Star Ballot voting came to a close on Thursday with St. Louis' Nolan Arenado winning the starting job at the hot corner for the Senior Circuit. Bryant was left on the outside looking in, along with the Cubs' four other All-Star starter finalists.

The pitchers and reserves for the All-Star Game will be announced on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN after player and manager voting has concluded.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: July 13 on FOX

Catcher Willson Contreras and shortstop Javier Báez -- starters for the NL in the 2018-19 All-Star Games -- were finalists at their positions, but Giants catcher Buster Posey and Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. won the vote.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman won the fan vote at his position, beating Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo in the balloting. Likewise, Cubs outfield finalist Joc Pederson did not finish in the top three, as those slots went to Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves and Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker of the Reds.

This will mark the first time since 2017 that the Cubs have not had a starting position player in the NL lineup. That said, Chicago still has a group of worthy All-Star candidates.

All-Star contenders

• Bryant: He will not be an All-Star starter, but Bryant has been the Cubs' MVP through the first three months and has a solid case for his fourth All-Star nod. He has bounced all over the diamond, helping manager David Ross better navigate a roster beset with injuries.

Bryant has played more outfield (153 innings in right, 127 1/3 innings in left and 73 2/3 innings in center) than third base (165 1/3 innings), and he has also manned first base (92 innings). Bryant's strong start offensively helped Chicago climb to the top of the NL Central in May.

Overall, Bryant has hit .261/.347/.500 with 15 home runs and 41 RBIs in 73 games, while battling some minor injury issues along the way. He has hit just .103 (.389 OPS) in his last 15 games, dropping his season OPS from 1.004 to .847. The recent slump has coincided with the Cubs' slide into second place.

• Closer Craig Kimbrel: If no one else makes the NL All-Star team, Kimbrel should. Entering Thursday, his 46.4 percent strikeout rate led NL relievers and he had a 0.59 ERA with 52 strikeouts against 10 walks in 31 games (30 1/3 innings). Kimbrel has 20 saves and has anchored one of the best bullpens in baseball.

• Contreras: The two-time All-Star has the potential to hit better than he has this season (.231/.335/.424 with 13 homers and 30 RBIs), but he has been a workhorse behind the plate for the Cubs. Contreras currently leads the Majors with 556 2/3 innings caught. Second-ranked Yadier Molina of the Cardinals had handled 492 innings entering Thursday.

On the bubble

• Báez: He has started at second base and at shortstop for the NL All-Star team, but El Mago has had a statistically strange season. Báez leads the Cubs in homers (18) and RBIs (49), but he has slashed .227/.275/.470 with a league-average 100 wRC+. Defensively, the shortstop has been solid, but not nearly as brilliant as in past seasons.

• Rizzo: The first baseman has hit .248/.344/.442 with 10 homers, 32 RBIs and a 116 wRC+, while missing games due to a back issue at a handful of turns. His defense has been strong (six Outs Above Average, per Statcast), but Rizzo has not really hit his stride offensively.

• RHP Kyle Hendricks: The leader of Chicago's rotation entered Thursday as the NL leader in wins (10), but his overall numbers are marred by a rough April (7.54 ERA). Hendricks has gone 9-1 with a 2.83 ERA in 11 starts since May 1, giving the Cubs a reliable arm to lead a staff full of issues.

• LHP Andrew Chafin: All-Star team pitching staffs tend to be filled with starting pitchers and closers. If the NL wants one of baseball's top setup men, then Chafin would be a worthy pick. As part of Chicago's late-inning trio (with Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera), Chafin has spun a 1.59 ERA in 36 appearances.

• Pederson: The fans made Pederson an All-Star starting finalist in the early voting. So far this season, the outfielder has hit .233/.305/.432 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs, while assuming the leadoff-hitting duties against right-handed pitching.