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Blue Jays' Santiago Espinal replacing injured Altuve at All-Star Game
The Jays have another ticket to book for L.A..
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Santiago Espinal has been added to the American League All-Star team after Houston Astros infielder Jose Altuve was forced out with an injury this week.
From a 10th-round pick to a first-time MLB All-Star! @santdr13 ⭐️🐐 pic.twitter.com/YXEqpWojiB
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 16, 2022
Altuve was hit by a pitch on his left knee on Thursday in the Astros' game against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Santiago, Dominican Republic native will be appearing in his first-career All-Star game, joining Toronto teammates Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and Alek Manoah. George Springer was also named an All-Star, but will be missing the game with an elbow injury.
The moment Santi became a STAR ⭐️ @santdr13 pic.twitter.com/06Mw6OQAEH
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 16, 2022
Espinal has been a standout for the Jays on both sides of the ball, hitting six homeruns and 37 RBIs in 89 games while owning a .271/.322/.394 slash line. The 27-year-old was selected in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Boston Red Sox out of Miami Dade Community College.
He was acquired by the Blue Jays in June 2020 for veteran Steve Pearce and cash. He made his big-league debut on July 25, 2020 against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre.
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