LEADING OFF

ALL-STAR SALE: Red Sox ace Chris Sale makes his final appearance before the All-Star Game today, putting him in line to potentially start for the American League on Tuesday in Miami. Sale (11-3, 2.61 ERA) enters a game against Tampa Bay with doubledigit strikeouts in three of his past four outings. ELECTION DAY: Fan voting online for the final spot on each AllStar roster ends at 2 p.m. MDT, and the two winners will be announced a few hours later on MLB Network. As of Wednesday afternoon, Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas was leading the AL balloting. Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was at the front of the NL field. WHERE THERE’S SMOKE …: Justin Verlander’s once-secure future in Detroit has become increasingly uncertain. With the Tigers languishing below .500, the pressure may soon be on GM Al Avila to trade some of his biggest stars, including the 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner who debuted with Detroit in 2005. “Obviously, where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Verlander said of the trade speculation.

STILL AILING: Indians manager Terry Francona will miss at least a few more games as doctors try to pinpoint his medical issues. Francona was still at the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday getting tests to determine what has been causing light-headedness and an increased heart rate over the past month. The 58-year-old Francona was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday. Francona is supposed to manage the American League AllStar team next Tuesday in Miami.