THREE-HEADED MONSTER
Beltran joins relievers as Yankee All-Stars
CHICAGO — Mark Tuesday as a rare 2016 occasion in which the Yankees could claim to be even with the Mets.
Despite their mediocre record, the Yankees placed three players on the American League club for the All-Star Game. Outfielder Carlos Beltran, his health permitting, will join relievers Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller next week in San Diego. Beltran and Miller earned the honors by virtue of the player ballot, while AL manager Ned Yost selected Betances as one of his seven choices.
Beltran, 39, will be the second-oldest player in the game — after retiring Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, who is 40 — as long as his right hamstring allows him to participate. The right fielder makes his first All-Star Game as a Yankee; his most recent Midsummer Classic appearance came in 2013 at Citi Field in a Cardinals uniform. Beltran began play Tuesday tied for seventh in the AL with 19 home runs and tied for 13th with 53 RBI.
Betances, in his third full majorleague season, has qualified for his third consecutive All-Star Game. The homegrown Yankee had struck out 46.3 percent of the batters he faced through Monday, second-best in the majors.
The only pitcher who strikes out batters at a higher rate has been Miller (48.2 percent), an All-Star Game novice. Interestingly, the Yankees are sending their two setup men to the game to determine World Series home-field advantage, but not their closer, Aroldis Chapman, who also has been excellent yet has pitched in fewer games because of the 30-game suspension he served for violating baseball’s joint domestic violence agreement.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said before Tuesday’s game against the White Sox that he considered Chapman and shortstop Didi Gregorius to be worthy of All-Star consideration in addition to Beltran, Betances and Miller.