Sun Sentinel Broward Edition

Stanton moves up in All-Star voting

- By Craig Davis Staff writer

MIAMI — Baseball fans corrected a head-scratching oversight in earlier All-Star voting as Giancarlo Stanton was elevated among the leaders in the running for a starting spot for the National League.

Stanton, who dropped to fourth among outfielder­s a week ago, moved up to second in the latest update with 4,824,989 votes. He trails the Nationals’ Bryce Harper, who has already received a record 9.2 million votes, surpassing the 7.6 million Buster Posey got in 2012.

The Cardinals’ Matt Holliday is more than 100,000 votes behind Stanton. The Giants’ Nori Aoki, who had squeezed Stanton out of the top three, has slipped to fourth nearly 500,000 votes behind the Marlins’ right fielder. Voting ends July 2.

“It’s big. It’s good for the fans to give their appreciati­on and be thankful. But I’m not there yet,” Stanton said Tuesday.

It may be difficult to fathom that anyone would prefer watching Aoki to the major league leader in home runs and RBI. But fan voting is often perplexing, such as the seven Kansas City Royals currently holding starting spots in the American League voting. Until this week, the Royals’ Eris Hosmer was leading Miguel Cabrera at first base.

Cabrera never got voted in while with the Marlins, who have only had two players earn selection by fans — Gary Sheffield (3B,1993) and Hanley Ramirez (SS, 2008-10).

That total could be matched this year if Stanton holds onto a starting spot. Dee Gordon remains the leader at second base, more than 1 million votes ahead of the Cardinals Kolten Wong.

“He got a $300 million contract. I think everybody knows who he is already,” Gordon said of Stanton. “I knew they were going to get it right.”

There has been a noticeable increase in attention from fans for Stanton since he was runner-up for Most Valuable Player last season, particular­ly when he takes batting practice while the Marlins are on the road.

“Yeah. I’ve seen it. It’s pretty cool to go to all the away cities and see the difference. You got to appreciate it,” Stanton said.

Injury updates

It is difficult to follow the Marlins lately without paying attention to what is happening at New Orleans, Jacksonvil­le and Jupiter, where several players are on rehab assignment­s.

Manager Dan Jennings said Tuesday that some of them are close to returning, which will create a log jam and force some tough decisions on pitchers and position players.

Marlins officials were pleased with Jarred Cosart’s latest rehab outing in Double-A — one run, three hits allowed in five innings, though he did walk six.

Jennings said Cosart may be activated as soon as Thursday.

With Cosart returning and Jose Fernandez due to follow next week, the starting staff is about to get crowded. All Jennings would say definitive­ly was that Justin Nicolino “certainly pitched good enough to earn another start.”

The club’s top left-handed prospect Saturday became the first Marlin to pitch seven shutout innings in his major league debut. Nicolino would be in line to pitch Friday, but Jennings said Tom Koehler has recovered from neck and back tightness and should also be ready to take his regular turn that day against the Dodgers.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States