MLB All-Star Game: Kershaw, Ohtani set for showdown, starting lineups, TV info

LOS ANGELES — All eyes will be on two of the region’s biggest baseball stars for the first pitch of the All-Star Game on Tuesday when it returns to Dodger Stadium for the first time in 42 years.

Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ three-time Cy Young Award winner, gets his first All-Star start for the National League in the 5 p.m. game (Ch. 11, 710 AM). The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani will lead off as the American League’s designated hitter for the second straight year after opening on the mound and atop the order last year in Denver.

Ohtani, a two-time All-Star and the reigning AL MVP, remains a baseball unicorn: He’s batting .258 with 19 home runs, 56 RBIs and 10 stolen bases while going 9-4 with a 2.38 ERA as a pitcher (123 strikeouts and 22 walks in 87 innings). Still, Ohtani is 0 for 8 in his career as a hitter against Kershaw with four strikeouts, three groundouts and a double-play grounder.

“I don’t know how I got him out. I guess I’ll try to get him out again tomorrow and see what happens.” Kershaw said during Monday’s press conference.

A nine-time All-Star, the 34-year-old Kershaw is 7-2 with a 2.14 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 71-2/3 innings. The future Hall of Famer is the third Dodgers pitcher to start in the last seven All-Star Games, following Zack Greinke (2015) and Hyun Jin Ryu (2019), and he is the 13th pitcher to start in his home ballpark, the first since Max Scherzer did so in 2018 at Washington.

“He makes every pitch – he rarely misses his spots, rarely leaves the ball in the middle of the plate,” Ohtani, 28, said of Kershaw. “Every pitch he makes is really quality.”

The Dodgers (and their fans) have yearned to host this game again for decades, but seeing one of their franchise icons square off against the 21st Century’s Babe Ruth to get the festivities started could prove to be worth the wait.

WHO’S IN? WHO’S OUT?

With several rounds of voting announcements and a series of replacements named over the past few weeks, it gets easy to lose track of who made the All-Star teams and which players are or are not available to play or pitch.

Here are the starting lineups and updated rosters for the American League and National League teams:

AMERICAN LEAGUE STARTING LINEUP

Shohei Ohtani, Angels, DH

Aaron Judge, Yankees, RF

Rafael Devers, Red Sox, 3B

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays, 1B

Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees, LF

Byron Buxton, Twins, CF (replacement for Mike Trout, Angels, injured)

Tim Anderson, White Sox, SS

Andrés Giménez, Guardians, 2B (replacement for Jose Altuve, Astros, injured)

Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays, C

NATIONAL LEAGUE STARTING LINEUP

Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves, RF

Mookie Betts, Dodgers, CF

Manny Machado, Padres, 3B

Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals, 1B

Trea Turner, Dodgers, SS

Willson Contreras, Cubs, C

William Contreras, Braves, DH (replacement for Phillies’ Bryce Harper, injured)

Joc Pederson, Giants, LF

Jeff McNeil, Mets, 2B (replacement for Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm, injured)

AMERICAN LEAGUE RESERVES

Catchers: Jose Trevino, Yankees

Infielders: Luis Arraez, Twins; Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox; José Ramírez, Guardians; Corey Seager, Rangers (injury replacement for Blue Jays OF George Springer); Santiago Espinal, Blue Jays (injury replacement for Altuve); Ty France, Mariners (injury replacement for Trout)

Outfielders: George Springer, Blue Jays (will miss game, injury); Andrew Benintendi, Royals; Kyle Tucker, Astros; Julio Rodríguez, Mariners

DH: Yordan Alvarez, Astros (will miss game, injury), J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (injury replacement for Alvarez)

Legacy: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, DH

AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHERS

Shane McClanahan, Rays (starter)

Nestor Cortes, Yankees

Alek Manoah, Blue Jays

Framber Valdez, Astros

Martín Pérez, Rangers

Paul Blackburn, Athletics

Justin Verlander, Astros (unavailable)

Gerrit Cole, Yankees (unavailable)

Shohei Ohtani, Angels (unavailable to pitch)

Clay Holmes, Yankees

Emmanuel Clase, Guardians

Gregory Soto, Tigers

Jorge López, Orioles

Liam Hendriks, White Sox (replacement for Verlander/Cole)

Jordan Romano, Blue Jays (replacement for Verlander/Cole)

NATIONAL LEAGUE RESERVES

Catchers: Travis d’Arnaud, Braves

Infielders: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals (will miss game, injury); Pete Alonso, Mets; C.J. Cron, Rockies; Dansby Swanson, Braves; Austin Riley, Braves (injury replacement for Arenado); Jake Cronenworth, Padres (injury replacement for Chisholm), Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (picked as replacement)

Outfielders: Kyle Schwarber, Phillies; Juan Soto, Nationals; Starling Marte, Mets (injured will not play); Ian Happ, Cubs

DH: William Contreras, Braves, Garrett Cooper, Marlins (injury replacement for Harper)

Legacy: Albert Pujols, Cardinals

NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHERS

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (starter)

Sandy Alcantara, Marlins

Corbin Burnes, Brewers

Luis Castillo, Reds

Max Fried, Braves (unavailable)

Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers

Joe Musgrove, Padres

Edwin Díaz, Mets

Josh Hader, Brewers (will miss game/bereavement list)

Ryan Helsley, Cardinals

David Bednar, Pirates

Joe Mantiply, Diamondbacks

Carlos Rodón, Giants (replacement for Hader, but will miss game due to availability)

Tyler Anderson, Dodgers (replacement for Rodón)

Devin Williams, Brewers (replacement for Fried)

Miles Mikolas, Cardinals (replacement for Burnes)

DID YOU MISS ANYTHING?

The main event has finally arrived, but All-Star-related activities have been going on for several days. From the Futures Game and Celebrity Softball doubleheader on Saturday to the MLB draft on Sunday and the Home Run Derby on Monday, there has been plenty going on in and around Chavez Ravine. There is still time before Tuesday’s game to check out Play Ball Park.