DENVER -- No, that wasn't an imposter on the American League sideline during the 2021 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday -- though you'd be forgiven for thinking that, considering he was dressed in road gray pants -- in a sea of stars wearing home whites -- and an oversized hoodie much too large for his lanky frame.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. on FOX

No, that's Taylor Rogers, who is, in fact, an All-Star, as he and Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge took the place of the inactive Gerrit Cole and Yusei Kikuchi on the roster. He got the phone call -- no joke -- about 90 minutes before he showed up in the AL clubhouse. And yes, it's been just as much of a blur as you'd expect, considering that timeline.

"You know what? I still haven't quite got a grasp on that yet," Rogers said late Monday night. "It's just a whirlwind. I haven't been able to really sit down and think yet."

That whirlwind should show no signs of abating throughout Tuesday's festivities as Rogers, a Denver native who still lives in the area, enjoys his first career All-Star recognition in front of his hometown fans, in the ballpark where he attended 60 games during the magical 2007 season in which the Rockies made a historic run to the World Series.

Despite playing high school ball in the area, Rogers has never pitched at Coors Field in a game at any level.

It doesn't get better than that for the 30-year-old reliever. And don't try and tell him that the All-Star Game doesn't matter. He compared that call from Twins manager Rocco Baldelli informing him of the news to the one of his first callup to the big leagues.

That call, by the way? It came while he was watering the lawn in front of the house he bought for himself two offseasons ago. Not knowing that Rogers was already in Denver, Baldelli asked if there was any chance Rogers could make it to Colorado by first pitch on Tuesday evening.

"I said, 'I'm 30 minutes away. I'll be at the Derby,'" Rogers said with a laugh.

It took him a bit more than that -- an hour and 22 minutes, to be exact -- to walk into Coors Field. There were calls to be made, beginning with the first call that Rogers always makes whenever something happens -- to his identical twin brother, Tyler Rogers, who certainly pitched his way into contention for the Midsummer Classic himself.

But there he came, with a box of shoes and a pair of years-old uniform pants (remember, of the wrong color). He had to borrow a sweatshirt from Nelson Cruz, the Twins' other All-Star, to fit some semblance of the dress code for the Derby.

He's here, though -- and he's earned it.

Despite giving up a ninth-inning grand slam to Tigers catcher Jake Rogers in the Twins' first-half finale on Sunday, Rogers' All-Star credentials speak for itself -- a 3.35 ERA with 54 strikeouts and only eight walks in 37 2/3 innings.

Before he gave up that slam, his ERA had been down to 2.45, and he'd given up only one earned run in his 12 previous appearances.

"I was joking with a lot of people, saying maybe I should have given up a grand slam earlier," Rogers said. "I don’t know who it was -- MLB, a committee, whoever it was -- I’m glad that they looked at the full body of work, and not just the latest piece. I’m proud of the body of work that I’ve got going. So I’m glad that they looked at the full half of the season."

If you're with the homeowners' association and worried about the lawn Rogers had been watering before his All-Star break was turned upside down -- don't worry. It's thriving.

"Well, it’s still tops on the block," Rogers said.