Derek fans

Jeter leads AL All-Star voting at shortstop

ST. LOUIS — Because of how popular he is with baseball fans across the country Major League Baseball wouldn’t mind having Derek Jeter start the July 15 AllStar Game in Minneapolis.

Based on the first batch of ballots counted fans are doing their best to make Jeter the AL starter at short.

Jeter is third in the overall voting with 602,525 votes, triling only Mike Trout (764,007) and Jose Bautista (675,290).

His lead over White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez is 129,988 votes.

“AllStar Games are great, it’s a fun experience and you never know when you will get a chance to go,’’ said Jeter, a 13time AllStar who has been voted in eight times by the fans.

Jacoby Ellsbury’s 417,452 votes were third among AL outfielders and Carlos Beltran, currently on the DL, was fourth with 401,101.

Counting Tuesday night Jeter, who went 0for3 with a walk in the Yankees’ 60 loss to the Cardinals, has started 15 of the previous 16 games with one game as the DH.

“I check with him every day and he said he feels good,’’ manager Joe Girardi said.

Michael Pineda threw 28 pitches in an extended spring training game at the Yankees’ minor league complex Tuesday, and according to Girardi, will be extended to 50 to 60 pitches.

“He had a very good day,’’ Girardi said of Pineda, who pitched two innings against the Phillies minorleague club. He gave up two singles, an unearned run and fanned four. “He will throw Sunday in an intrasquad game so we can control the innings.’’

So what happens after Pineda possibly reaches 60 pitches?

“Let’s get to 50 to 60 pitches and see where we end up,’’ Girardi said.

Pineda is on the disabled list with a strained terres major muscle high on the right side of the back.

Girardi also said Carlos Beltran had a solid day dry swinging a fungo bat Tuesday and will progress to working off a tee and soft tosses Thursday.

“He was extremely excited [Tuesday],’’ Girardi said of the right fielder who is on the DL with a bone spur in the right elbow. “He will take [Wednesday] off and take more swings Thursday.’’

Shawn Kelley, who is on the DL because of a lower back problem, long tossed and is scheduled to repeat that action Wednesday.

Having thrown two innings Monday, Dellin Betances was not going to pitch Tuesday night.

“He has no chance of pitching unless he throws lefthanded,’’ Girardi said of the righthanded strikeout artist who has fanned 51 in 30¹/₃ innings.

Those 51 strikeouts led all MLB relievers.