Red Sox-related things to watch at MLB’s All-Star Game

BOSTON — Major League Baseball will hold its All-Star Game on Tuesday. The Boston Red Sox are barely involved.

With just one Red Sox player making the team — and that player being a closer, at that — it’s not a very Red Sox-heavy affair. Still, there are plenty of players and events that are tangentially related to the Red Sox to make the two-night festivities interesting to Boston.

Mookie Betts – Home Run Derby

The eight-man field for Monday night’s Home Run Derby includes Mookie Betts. The 5-foot-9 outfielder isn’t your prototypical power hitter, but he shouldn’t be counted out of any athletic competition of any kind. Whether it’s baseball, bowling, darts, horseshoes, 3-point shooting, race car driving, skipping rocks on a pond or literally anything else, Betts is probably going to be better than most.

Of course, Betts is a former Red Sox player, so it’s unclear how much rooting interest there will be coming from the New England region. But Betts will be up against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first round, which sounds like reason enough to tune in.

UPDATE: Mookie hit just 11 homers in the first round of Monday night’s festivities and lost to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who went on to win the 2023 Home Run Derby.

Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez — Starting For National League

Hey, speaking of Betts, he’s starting in center field and batting third for the National League. And right behind Betts is another member of the 2018 World Series-winning Red Sox, as fellow Dodger J.D. Martinez is batting cleanup as the NL’s starting designated hitter.

Now, a real cynic would point out that the Red Sox used to employ the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters for All-Star teams on their own roster, instead of seeing the Dodgers employ two former Red Sox to bat third and fourth in the All-Star Game. But luckily, there are no cynics here.

Future Red Sox OF/P Shohei Ohtani — Starting For American League

Shohei Ohtani won’t be able to pitch, due to a blister, but he will be starting for the American League, batting second as the team’s DH.

He is — quite famously — an Angel (of Anaheim of Los Angeles of California), but he’s also — quite famously — a free agent-to-be. And while we’re waltzing down memory lane, it’s worth remembering the good old days when the Red Sox would always be in on every big-name, big-money free agent. They didn’t land every one of them, no, but knowing they were willing and eager to dole out a record contract or two every few years was a lot more fun than the current era of bargain bin-hunting.

So hey, for a night at least, pretend it’s 2003 and start envisioning future Red Sox outfielder/ace pitcher/superstar Shohei Ohtani.

(That comes across as sad, now that it’s all typed out.)

Nathan Eovaldi — Pitching For American League

At least the Red Sox have been spared the embarrassment of having let the starting pitcher for the All-Star Game depart via free agency on a very reasonable contract last winter, thanks to Dusty Baker’s decision to have Gerrit Cole start the game on Tuesday. Nevertheless, Eovaldi was a viable candidate for that role, and he’ll be one of the first arms out of the bullpen for Baker when the game begins.

Red Sox fans just got a glimpse of Eovaldi last week, when he visited Fenway Park with the Rangers, and now they’ll see the 2018 champ on the mound representing the AL.

Craig Kimbrel — On National League Roster

The former Red Sox closer — also a 2018 World Series champion — made the NL squad as an injury replacement, and he should see some game action on Tuesday.

Of all the 2018 champs in the game, Kimbrel’s been gone from Boston the longest, having left in free agency the winter after winning it all. He spent two and a half seasons with the Cubs, half a season with the White Sox, one year with the Dodgers, and now the first half of 2023 with the Phillies. This will be his ninth career All-Star Game.

He’s got a pretty killer rat tail going on at the moment, too.

Shoutout to the ’90s.

David Ortiz — On Game Broadcast

It was more fun when he was hitting bombs in these games, sure, but David Ortiz on the broadcast team certainly adds some entertainment value. Hopefully he’ll take a tour through the dugout on live TV again.

Kenley Jansen — Red Sox’ Lone All-Star

Hey, look at that. The Red Sox’ lone representative, Kenley Jansen certainly earned his spot this year. The 35-year-old entered the season with many skeptics doubting his ability to adapt to the pitch clock, but he’s answered those questions by converting 19 of 22 save opportunities in his first season in Boston. His WHIP is up from last year, but his ERA is down, as he’s proven that he still has what made him a premiere closer in baseball for the past decade.

If he gets an inning of work — and he likely will — then Red Sox fans better not leave the room. It’ll be the only actual Red Sox inclusion in the entire game.