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With the American League and National League All-Stars set to be announced on Saturday evening, there is plenty of speculation about who will and won’t make the cut.

While the final voting tallies for starters have remained under wraps, it’s not too difficult to predict who will make the teams through that manner.

Vote totals were released a few days ago, so unless there were some monumental swings in the final days, most of the starting sports have long been determined. When it comes to the reserve spots, however, it is anyone’s guess who will play at Citi Field, as the players and managers are trusted with the responsibility of picking those players.

Here are three elite players who are very much on the All-Star borderline right now and will need a little bit of luck in order to make one of the rosters.

Evan Longoria

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria is known for getting off to slow starts before turning it on and heating up down the stretch.

That hasn’t been the case this season, though, as he has been excellent from the very start. Longoria has never hit .300 in a season, but he is flirting with that number right now at .295 and also has 17 home runs as well as 49 RBI to boot.

Due to the strength of third base in the AL, however, there is a chance that Longoria will get snubbed.

Along with Longoria, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles, Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers and Josh Donaldson of the Oakland Athletics are in play. All five men are having spectacular seasons and deserve to make the team, but it’s unlikely that more than three of them will.

MLB Network’s Peter Gammons seems to believe that Donaldson and Beltre will ultimately be the odd men out.

That’s possible, but it’s far from a guarantee. The only certainty is that Cabrera will deservedly get the starting nod, as ESPN.com had him well ahead in the voting on July 1. Longoria was fourth behind Cabrera, Machado and Beltre, so he wouldn’t even make if it was up to the fans entirely.

The final battle could come down to Longoria vs. Donaldson. Even though Longoria is more established, Donaldson may get the nod due to the fact that he has helped carry the A’s.

Domonic Brown

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown has been labeled a can’t-miss prospect for the past several years, but until this season he missed plenty. Brown couldn’t hold down a full-time spot with the Phils, so he was often shuttled between the majors and Triple A.

After a lukewarm start this season, Brown appeared to be in the same position, but he came around in a major way and is suddenly one of the top power threats in baseball.

Brown’s numbers are extremely impressive, as he is hitting .279 with 22 home runs and 60 RBI along with eight steals. Despite that, Brown received absolutely no love from the fans. As of July 1, ESPN.com had him at 15th among NL outfielders, behind the likes of Angel Pagan, Jon Jay and Gregor Blanco.

According to CSN Philly’s Reuben Frank, Brown would love to make the All-Star team, but it isn’t his main focus at the moment.

Even though Brown has been disrespected through the fan vote, he should still be in decent position to make the team. He has been the Phillies’ best hitter by far this season and has surpassed the likes of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins to become the face of the franchise.

The All-Star Game is about showcasing the best talent in baseball, so Brown definitely deserves to be a part of it. If the players and managers neglect to vote him in, he’ll be one of the biggest snubs in recent memory.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury‘s career arc has been an interesting one. He came into the league as a pure speed guy and quickly became one of the most exciting players in the game, as he stole 120 bases between the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

After an injury-plagued 2010 season, Ellsbury changed his style of play and became a slugger, clubbing 32 home runs and driving in 105 runs en route to a second-place finish in AL MVP voting in 2011.

Ellsbury once again struggled with injuries last season, but he has returned to his roots this year. Ellsbury has just two homers and 30 RBI, but he is hitting .302 with 54 runs and 34 stolen bases to lead the entire league.

Ellsbury also plays Gold Glove-caliber defense, which is no small feat at Fenway Park. He didn’t get much love in the voting as of Monday, however, as he was just eighth among American League outfielders.

There are a lot of good outfielders in the AL, so Ellsbury will have a battle on his hands. The likes of Los Angeles Angel Mike Trout, Baltimore Oriole Adam Jones and Toronto Blue Jay Jose Bautista were first, second and third in the voting, respectively, and their numbers are certainly good enough to warrant playing in the All-Star Game.

Ellsbury brings a different dimension to the Red Sox and would bring a different dimension to the AL All-Star team as well, so look for him to make it by hook or by crook.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

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The Tampa Bay Rays may be receiving some unfortunate news soon—star third baseman Evan Longoria was pulled from Friday’s home game against the Detroit Tigers. 

UPDATE: Friday, June 28, at 10:48 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

Tampa Bay Times reporter Joe Smith provided an update on Longoria:

—End of update—

*Original Text*

Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reported the news on Twitter:

The loss of Longoria for an extended period of time would be a big blow for the Rays. The three-time All-Star has been the heart of Tampa Bay’s lineup this season. He leads the team in home runs (17), RBI (47), on-base percentage (.368) and hits (90). 

According to Smith, Longoria was replaced at third base by Kelly Johnson.

In 219 at-bats this season, the 31-year-old is hitting just .237 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI. He’s a career .254 hitter. 

Longoria has already been dealing with injury throughout this season. According to a report from the Associated Press, Longoria has been forced out of third base and into the role of designated hitter with a sore foot in June. 

Should Longoria‘s injury turn out to be a serious one, it won’t be the first time that the Rays’ season was impacted by the third baseman’s health. He only logged 74 games for the club last season due to a hamstring injury, as Tampa finished 90-72, barely missing out on the playoffs. 

According to Baseball-Reference.com, the Rays won 64 percent of the games that Longoria played in last season, going just 43-45 in the games that he missed. 

The Rays are currently 5-5 in their last 10 games and sit six games out of first place in the American League East with a record of 41-38.

Be sure to return to this page, as we will bring you the latest information on Longoria’s status as it becomes available. 

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The 2013 MLB season is now in full swing, and the Rays haven’t had very good start to their year. Tampa Bay stands at 3-4 after the first week of baseball, dropping a couple of tough games but showing some bright signs as well.

It’s just the beginning of what should be an exciting year for this talented Rays team.

Here are five things I’ve taken away from the first seven games of the season.

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Every year, there’s at least one surprise when it’s time to dole out the hardware. Last year, R.A. Dickey was the first knuckleballer to ever win the Cy Young, but he’s not alone when it comes to the seemingly out-of-nowhere greatness that we see on podiums every fall.

How about Neftali Feliz winning the Rookie of the Year in 2010? The duo of Andrew Bailey and Chris Coghlan winning rookie honors in 2009? To some extent, Cliff Lee winning the Cy Young in 2008 was a shock. The player vying for the MVP every year seem familiar, but Dustin Pedroia in 2008 could be considered a dark horse.

So that’s what we’re going to try to find today: players that have a legitimate shot at winning the MVP, the Cy Young, or the Rookie of the Year…but aren’t yet in the news nightly.

Because in 2003, Eric Gagne won the National League Cy Young, and Angel Berroa and Dontrelle Willis won their respective Rookie of the Years. Crazy things happen all the time.

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The population of third basemen in Major League Baseball is talented and getting increasingly young, and with the promotion of Manny Machado and impending ascension of top prospects Anthony Rendon, Nick Castellanos and Mike Olt (if he stays at 3B), the position is getting deeper and becoming even younger.. 

With that said, it should be understood the position has several question marks among the top echelon of players (ie, health issues, consistency issues), so in consideration of the depth of the position it may be advisable to wait until the middle rounds to make a selection if you do not get one of the top three or four options.

Of course, even in the middle rounds there will be some questions that attach to your selection, but if you’re going to select a third baseman with some questions it would be better to gamble with a fifteenth round pick than a fourth or fifth round pick.

(NOTE: Hanley Ramirez is included among the shortstops, as opposed to the third basemen)

Related articles: Top 10 Catchers, Top 10 First Basemen, Top 10 Second Basemen

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Evan Longoria and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a 10-year contract extension (six years guaranteed) worth $100 million earlier this week. The deal will keep Longoria with the Rays through the 2022 season with a team option for 2023.

The Rays drafted Longoria with the third overall pick in 2006 and he was the first player selected by owner Stu Sternberg and GM Andrew Friedman. Via the New York Daily News:

 “We drafted Evan in 2006 with the belief that he and the organization would grow with each other and together accomplish great things,” said Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg. “That is why the Rays and Evan signed a long-term contract in 2008, and it is why we are extending our commitments today. Evan has clearly become a cornerstone player and a fixture in our organization. We are proud of what we have accomplished these past seven years, and I expect the best is yet to come.”

For a team that has sustained recent success with financial constraints, it’s a big deal for the team to be able to secure its superstar and face of the franchise for years to come.

Here are the four biggest winners in Longoria’s new deal.

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If you see a brunette beauty who answers by the name of Jamie Edmondson, stop her. She just stole a blueberry muffin from Sweet Tomatoes. 

Reports have it that she was last seen with Evan Longoria. 

Thanks to Busted Coverage, we get a light-hearted story of thievery by none other than a former Playmate and the girlfriend of the Tampa Bay Rays star. 

The website noticed a couple of tweets from the lovely lady who apparently wanted to take a snack from the soup and salad buffet restaurant. 

And she has the audacity to tweet out the tasty treat to the masses. 

First up is this hilarity (via Twitter):

Lunch at Sweet Tomatoes…2 observations…1. I am always the youngest person here and 2. most of my lunch ends up on my belly #messyeater

— jaime edmondson (@jaimeedmondson) November 30, 2012

In Los Angeles, the restaurant is called Souplantation and yes, it is filled with the elderly. Not only that, it’s filled with pretty much the most random group of people bumping into each other over poppy-seed muffins you have ever seen. 

You would never think that turkey chili could cause a fight, but one step into one of these places has you rethinking what kind of food would send you into a frenzy. 

Next is the tweet of the mad caper (via Twitter):

This is what it’s come to…smuggled a blueberry muffin out in my purse…Who the heck am I!?twitpic.com/bhvgec

— jaime edmondson (@jaimeedmondson) November 30, 2012

Relax, because everyone does this. 

I don’t consider it a successful trip to the restaurant unless I am coming back with one or three delicious brownies. 

Now I have something in common with a Playboy model. 

Hit me up on Twitter for more sexy swag. 

Follow @gabezal

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After watching him help the Angels sweep the Red Sox earlier this week, and based on his entire body of work this season, it’s clear that Mike Trout is one of the most exciting young players in the majors. He may even be the American League MVP when all is said and done, but there is one thing I don’t think the 21-year-old phenom should be:

Rookie of the Year.

Technically, Trout is a rookie. As the MLB rules state, “A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).

Trout makes the cut…barely. He played in 40 games (32 starts) during 2011, in which he had 123 at-bats. This may qualify someone for rookie status the next year, but it seems like an awful big sample set for me.

Forty games is nearly a quarter of the MLB schedule, and in Trout’s case, these were not just meaningless down-the-stretch contests. His first appearance came on July 8 against Seattle, and he wound up playing 14 games in July, eight in August, and 19 in September as the Angels battled for both an AL West title and a Wild Card spot. They got neither, but Trout (who hit .220 with five home runs and 16 RBI) got plenty of experience.

This year, of course, has been a different story. Trout has been with the Angels since late April and has torn up the league with an AL-best .336 average, 41 stolen bases, and 103 runs scored (along with 25 home runs) entering last night. Much hoopla was made when he became the first rookie to have both 25 homers and 40 steals during the Red Sox series, but he just doesn’t feel like a first-year guy to me.

He was an everyday player for Los Angeles during a good stretch of LAST season, and while he may seem like an entirely different performer this year, Trout is in fact the same guy who had already seen plenty of big-league pitching entering 2012.

To me, a true Rookie of the Year (ROY) winner is a guy who debuts the year he captures the award, or at most plays in 10 or 15 September games the previous season.

Baseball is the only one of the four major professional sports that has this type of shady rookie status. Football players, of course, go straight from college onto NFL rosters and have zero pro experience entering their first year. Ditto for hockey players, who enter the NHL from college or the minor league ranks. And while basketball players may have overseas professional experience, the first NBA games for every Rookie of the Year are played during his initial season in the league.

My 11-year-old son Jason had a very perceptive comment when I mentioned this discrepancy to him. “If Mike Trout is able to do this, what will keep managers from making sure young players don’t break the 130 at-bat limit so they can get better and older?”

I found no proof of this with Trout, who Angels manager Mike Scioscia played all game, every game down the stretch of 2011. It would have been interesting to see what might have happened had Trout gotten six more at-bats, of course.

Jason also had another funny premise: if a guy came up from the minors for 10 games a year for three years, would he still be considered a rookie going into his fourth season? According to the MLB rules above, he would. This seemed too funny to be plausible, but it happened…the 2008 NL ROY, Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, had played with Chicago for one game in 2005, 11 games in 2006, and 18 games in 2007. A fourth-year rookie!

I first started thinking about Trout’s freshman/sophomore status when Will Middlebrooks was shining for the Red Sox earlier this summer. A broken wrist derailed Middlebrooks in mid-August, and even if he had played out the string the chances are slim he would have put together stats like Trout.

But since Middlebrooks was a TRUE rookie whose 75 major games, 15 homers, and 54 RBI all came this season, one could argue (outside Los Angeles) that he is a more worthy Rookie of the Year winner than the guy who will get the award.

For some additional perspective, I looked back at AL and NL ROY winners from the past 10 seasons to see how they compare with Trout in pre-ROY experience. Soto was the only one I found with three MLB seasons under his belt, but one other player (Angel Berroa in 2003) had played shortstop for the Royals for a combined 35 games and 128 at-bats in 2001-2002. Talk about cutting it close to the 130 at-bat limit!

Most of the others fell into the more reasonable range of 15-20 pre-ROY games and 50-75 at-bats for position players and 5-15 games for pitchers. Six of the 20 awardees were “true” Rookies of the Year who saw their first MLB experience in their winning year: Chris Coughlin, Andrew Bailey, Evan Longoria, Ryan Braun, Dontrelle Willis and Eric Hinske. Honorable mentions go to 2006 winners Hanley Ramirez and Justin Verlander, who both played in just two MLB contests the previous season.

I think the system needs some revamping. Lower the pre-ROY maximum numbers to 20 games and/or 50 at-bats for position players, and 10 games and/or 30 innings for pitchers. This will ensure that September call-ups can still be considered rookies, but guys who played three months like Trout last year will be out of luck.

And what if Trout pulls off the double-win and captures both the Rookie of the Year and the MVP awards? He would be just the third man to achieve this feat, after Fred Lynn (in 1975) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001): two men who offer another contrast in rookies.

Lynn played in a reasonable 15 games in September of ’74, and while Suzuki was a “true” rookie in ’01 with regards to his MLB status, he did have nine seasons and more than 1,000 games in the Japanese professional leagues under his belt.

Now that’s another discussion altogether.  

Saul Wisnia lives less than seven miles from Fenway Park and works 300 yards from Yawkey Way. His latest book, Fenway Park: The Centennial, is available at http://amzn.to/qWjQRS, and his Fenway Reflections can be found athttp://saulwisnia.blogspot.com. He can be reached at saulwizz@gmail.com and @saulwizz. 

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With several surprises and disappointments, the 2012 MLB season has been a compelling one to watch thus far. 

However, something that has made the game less fun to follow is the number of superstar players that have suffered significant injuries. Yes, sometimes new players can emerge when established veterans go on the disabled list. Look at Bryce Harper with the Nationals or Freddy Galvis for the Phillies. (Unfortunately, Galvis has joined the ranks of the injured.) 

Sure, we watch baseball because we love the game, but a big reason we love the game is because we get to see top players perform at an elite level. Superstars provide the game with its flash and sizzle. They compel us to watch. Without its marquee talent on the field, baseball is just a little less exciting.

But the game will be far more exciting to watch in the weeks and months to come once some injured stars get back on the field. Here are 10 excellent players whose return we’re eagerly anticipating.

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

He’s the National League’s best player. Why wouldn’t we want to see him back on the field? The Dodgers have maintained their first-place lead while he’s been out with a strained hamstring. But how good could they be once Kemp returns, along with whatever midseason additions the Dodgers might make?

Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies

Losing Utley in spring training was a devastating blow to a Phillies team that was already short-handed. Would the Phillies be in last place if he was in the lineup all season? It doesn’t seem likely, but maybe age and lack of depth has just caught up with this team. Where would this Phillies team be at full strength?

Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies

Ty Wigginton has done well at first base for the Phils, but he’s not the power bat Howard is. As with Utley, how much better would the lineup be with Howard providing some thunder in the middle? Again, we want to see the Phillies at full strength. It’s fun to see the Washington Nationals on top in the NL East. New blood is always exciting. But wouldn’t it be more fun to see the Nats beat the Phillies at their best?

Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

There are few pitchers in baseball who can shut down a lineup and possibly do something historic every time he takes the mound. Halladay may not have the dazzle factor of Justin Verlander or Clayton Kershaw, but he is definitely one of those pitchers. Taken down by a shoulder injury, baseball isn’t as fun to watch without getting to see Halladay every five days.

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays are tied for first in the AL East and consistently play some of the best baseball in the majors. But how much better would they be with their best player in their lineup? Without Longoria, the Rays are 20-17. But they’re also hitting just .228 as a team. Their defense at third base is among the lower third in the majors. 

Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox

As with the Phillies, the Red Sox haven’t been able to field their intended roster all season long. That became especially true when Ellsbury, who had an MVP-caliber 201, dislocated his right shoulder in mid-April. Do we want to see a Red Sox team with Marlon Byrd or Scott Podsednik in center field? Or do we want to see Boston win, or be beaten while at full strength?

Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

Though the Cardinals would obviously be a better team with Carpenter in their starting rotation, the Redbirds seemed to be OK without him in the early stages of the season. Carpenter’s replacement, Lance Lynn, is pitching like a Cy Young Award candidate, but the Cards are slipping in the NL Central. Getting their ace back from his neck troubles would make a huge difference. 

Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers

I’ll admit to some personal bias here. I love watching Avila play. It was fun to watch him develop from a first-time starter into one of the best catchers in baseball last season. The Tigers have been a disappointment thus far, largely due to players like Avila performing below expectations. But there are so few great catchers in the majors that it’s a pleasure to watch the ones that emerge. 

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels

I realize I’m sort of repeating myself, but don’t we want to see the best players on the field? Weaver is one of the best pitchers in the AL and has established himself as appointment viewing. Baseball misses him taking the mound every five days. Now that the Angels have made the AL West a race again, Weaver’s return could make sure they stay competitive. 

Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers

As disappointing as the Brewers have been this season, Lucroy has been one of the team’s bright spots. With a .345/.387/.583 slash average, Lucroy put himself in the discussion of best catchers in the NL with Yadier Molina, Carlos Ruiz and Buster Posey. Suffering a broken hand when he did was disheartening. Hopefully, Lucroy can resume his great play when he returns.

Follow @iancass on Twitter

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Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are the future of the Washington Nationals. 

Strasburg will be the ace of a formidable starting rotation for years to come, and Bryce Harper will anchor the outfield and the lineup with his five-tool talent. The future is in good hands. 

Here are seven reasons why the Washington Nationals need to quickly sign both players to long-term contracts to ensure the successful future of the franchise.

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