Trea, Mookie to start All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers will be well represented when the National League All-Star starters are introduced at Dodger Stadium in less than two weeks. On Friday, Major League Baseball announced that shortstop Trea Turner and outfielder Mookie Betts were voted in as starters for the 92nd Midsummer Classic in Los Angeles on July 19.

“Very excited for Mookie, for Trea, and it’s well deserved,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “To know that the fans -- a big piece of this whole industry -- voted them in, it’s got to feel very good for them. ... To be able to play at the host stadium for the All-Star Game, it’s going to be fun.”

Turner received 52 percent of the votes, edging out Atlanta’s Dansby Swanson in one of the closest races. Swanson led most of the way in Phase 2, but Turner gained momentum over the last 48 hours. Turner becomes the first Dodgers shortstop to start an All-Star Game since Bill Russell in 1980, the last time Los Angeles hosted the Midsummer Classic.

“It means a lot,” Turner said of starting the All-Star Game. “There’s a lot of good players out there. Dansby’s having a heck of a year. It was a tight race, but our fans showed up and voted and that’s pretty cool. I’m excited for it.”

The Dodgers shortstop has become one of the best players in the Majors. Turner won the NL batting title in 2021 and entered Friday’s game against the Cubs with a .305 batting average. The 29-year-old shortstop has started every game this season.

Turner will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and the Dodgers will have plenty of competition to re-sign him in the open market. But for now, Turner looks forward to enjoying the All-Star Game in his home ballpark.

“Our fans show up and that’s what happens when you win, when you win consistently for eight, nine, 10 years, you get people to support, support the team and players,” Turner said. “I try to fit in and do my job as well as I can, but it’s rewarding when the fans have your back.”

As for Betts, the superstar is no stranger to the Midsummer Classic. This will be his sixth career All-Star Game appearance, but it’ll be the first time he suits up for the NL in his career. Last season, Betts was named an All-Star but decided to skip the festivities due to nagging injuries.

Betts is currently playing through a fractured rib, but he’s been fully healthy for most of the 2022 season. That has allowed him to showcase the talents that have made him one of the best players in the Majors over the last half decade.

“Obviously, the first is the most special, but every All-Star Game is really special,” Betts said. “It’s always memorable and as you get older, you can just remember all the All-Star Games you made and all the times you were amongst the best and tell your kids and grandkids those stories. I never take those for granted.”

The superstar hit two homers on Thursday, tying Alfonso Soriano for the most multi-homer games out of the leadoff spot in Major League history. Betts’ 20 long balls lead the Dodgers, and he is one of the early favorites to take home the NL Most Valuable Player Award.

The All-Star Game is all about showcasing the game’s best talents. Turner and Betts certainly fit into that bucket, and they’ll get a chance to be celebrated in front of their home fans on July 19.

“I can imagine how great that must feel,” Roberts said. “You’ve got these fans that are cheering for you 81 days a year at home and then obviously on the road. Then to be able to come to an All-Star Game and just pour it all into a couple players that are starters that get announced at the line, it’s got to be a special feeling.”