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Victor Martinez has yet to land on the disabled list, but he will not be participating in this year's All-Star Game. Teammate Ian Kinsler was named as Martinez's replacement on the American League All-Star roster, marking Kinsler's fourth appearance in the midsummer classic.
Kinsler was arguably the Tigers' most valuable player in the first half. He is hitting .305/.339/.477 with 11 home runs and 49 RBI heading into Friday night's game against Kansas City. He has made his presence felt on the basepaths as well, swiping nine bases and scoring a team-high 64 runs. He has also been stellar defensively, amassing 10 defensive runs saved while committing just two errors. His all-around contributions have been worth 3.6 wins above replacement, just ahead of Miguel Cabrera for the team lead.
Kinsler's initial omission from the All-Star game was a mild surprise, but understandable given the plethora of talented second basemen in the American League this year. Starter Robinson Cano leads all second basemen with a 131 wRC+, while Jose Altuve leads the majors with 127 hits. Hometown hero Brian Dozier leads all major league second basemen with 16 home runs and will participate in this year's Home Run Derby.
Victor Martinez earned an All-Star nod as a designated hitter behind Baltimore's Nelson Cruz, who leads the majors in home runs and RBI. Martinez is hitting .328/.391/.599 with 21 home runs and 55 RBI. His 2.5 WAR is tied with Cruz for the AL lead. Despite the gaudy numbers, Martinez has not played since last Friday due to an oblique injury. The team has stated that he will not go on the disabled list. This was his fifth career All-Star selection.