The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers will have four hitters in the National League’s starting lineup when the world’s best players gather July 14 in Philadelphia for the 96th All-Star Game.

Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who received the most votes among National League players to guarantee his sixth consecutive All-Star spot last week, learned Saturday he will be joined in the lineup by first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy and center fielder Andy Pages.

Fans and players also elected Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto as starters. Baldwin, Marsh and Pages are first-time all-stars.

The American League starting lineup features a mix of perpetual All-Stars and new faces. The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout and Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton comprise the AL’s outfield, though Judge (rib stress fracture) likely won’t be available and Trout (hamstring) might not be activated in time to play.

Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers and Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement make their All-Star Game debuts alongside Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez.

Alvarez cracked his league-high 28th home run Saturday night while Caminero delivered his 11th blast in the Rays’ last 11 games to move his home run total to 26 for the year.

Clement, who owns a .293 batting average and .746 OPS for the 42-47 Blue Jays, received the most fan votes to become the first AL player to secure his spot in the lineup. Langeliers is the first A’s catcher selected to start since Terry Steinbach made consecutive starts in 1988 and 1989.

The American League pitching staff features 11 hurlers making either their first or second All-Star Game appearance. Only Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman (ninth selection) knows the ropes extensively.

Toronto’s Dylan Cease, Cleveland’s Parker Messick, Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan, New York’s Cam Schlitter, Boston’s Ranger Suarez and Kansas City’s Michael Wacha are the starters selected while Chapman is joined in the bullpen by Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker, Texas’ Jacob Latz, Cleveland’s Cade Smith and Toronto’s Louis Varland.

The NL staff features slightly more experience as Atlanta ace Chris Sale (10th selection) is the only pitcher with more than three All-Star Games on his resume. Cincinnati’s Chase Burns, Miami’s Max Meyer, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, San Francisco’s Logan Webb and Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto join Sale on the starting staff.

San Diego closer Mason Miller leads a bullpen that includes Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran and Atlanta’s Raisel Iglesias.

In addition to Marsh, Sanchez and Duran, Phillies fans will get to cheer for first baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber as reserves. Harper (ninth All-Star appearance) was deemed a “legend pick” while Schwarber leads the majors with 30 homers.

The National League bench consists of catchers William Contreras (Milwaukee) and Hunter Goodman (Colorado), first baseman Matt Olson (Atlanta), shortstop Otto Lopez (Miami), utility infielders Luis Arraez (San Francisco) and Sal Stewart (Cincinnati) and outfielders Corbin Carroll (Arizona), Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Jordan Walker (St. Louis) and James Wood (Washington).

The American League reserves are catchers Dillon Dingler (Detroit) and Adley Rutschman (Baltimore), designated hitter Yandy Diaz (Tampa Bay), first basemen Nick Kurtz (Athletics) and Ben Rice (Yankees), rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana (Cleveland), rookie shortstop/third baseman Kevin McGonigle (Detroit), third baseman Miguel Vargas (White Sox) and outfielders Randy Arozarena (Seattle), Cody Bellinger (Yankees) and Riley Greene (Detroit).

The Phillies, Dodgers and Braves boast the most All-Stars with five apiece. Twenty-six players — including 15 of the 32 players on the American League roster — are making their first All-Star appearance.

–Field Level Media

PHILADELPHIA — After France survived a contentious round of 16 clash with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay, French manager Didier Deschamps tried to take the high road.

France somehow ended the match with all three bookings from Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev despite Paraguay being the team who sat deep and defended.

But that state of affairs was mostly understood and expected from Deschamps and his French charges on a sweltering afternoon that was the hottest match of this World Cup.

“I’ve seen a lot of things,” Deschamps said through an interpreter. “I have prepared the players. The players were expecting this game.

“I do not want to criticize Paraguay. Each team plays the way they want. But there were some insults from the other bench which I could have done without.”

Deschamps counted his charges lucky to escape the match without a red.

“The most important is by the end of the game that there were no disagreements and that we (did not) get another card. We got three yellow cards with a lot of fouls.

“I’m not saying that we did not make any fouls, but there were a lot from both teams.”

Manu Kone, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise were the booked players. Admirably, France goal-scorer Kylian Mbappe avoided joining them despite persistent Paraguayan provocation.

Asked whether it showed growth for France’s 27-year-old captain, Deschamps replied that Mbappe has always behaved maturely with his national team.

“There was a lot of media saying that he has evolved,” Deschamps said. “I don’t want to contradict myself, but Kylian has an image for you that is far from reality.

“I don’t want to lie. I’ve said from the first day that he had this spirit. He gave all the athletic efforts. He’s a great top-notch player on the pitch. But when he speaks, he speaks for the entire group.”

Until Mbappe’s 70th-minute penalty, earned by the excellent dribbling of substitute Desire Doue to incite Diego Gomez’s clumsy challenge, there remained a chance France would follow Germany out of the tournament at the hands of Paraguay, in the process ending Deschamps’ 14-year managerial tenure.

Deschamps, once again, insisted he never dwelled on it.

“I’m going to be clear. I will never think of that,” he said. “The only feeling that I have is to do everything for (the team) to work in the best way. The last game could have been four years ago or eight years ago. They could have told me, ‘You’ll go home.’ It’s like that.

“I have a positive philosophy. With my staff, we’re going to do everything to win. But we know this is football. Sometimes you lose. But you give it your all, then your head will be all right.”

–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media

The Colorado Rockies placed right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano on the 15-day injured list on Saturday due to back spasms.

He was scheduled to start Saturday’s game against the visiting San Francisco Giants. The move was retroactive to Wednesday.

Rookie left-hander Sean Sullivan was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque and started Saturday’s game in Denver in place of Sugano.

In other moves, Colorado placed right-hander Seth Halvorsen (right shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Wednesday, and selected the contract of right-handed reliever and two-time All-Star Jordan Romano from Albuquerque.

Sugano, 36, went unbeaten in five June starts, going 4-0 with a 6.58 ERA. His team gave him a combined 40 runs of support in those four wins.

He is 8-4 with a 4.80 ERA, 23 walks and 48 strikeouts in 84 1/3 innings over 16 starts in his first season with the Rockies. He made his major league debut in 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles and went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA in 157 innings over 30 starts.

Sullivan, 23, walked away with a no-decision on Monday after allowing five runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Miami Marlins. He entered Saturday 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA, nine walks and 12 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings in four starts for Colorado this season.

He was 5-3 with a 5.60 ERA, 19 walks and 50 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings over 11 starts at Albuquerque. The Rockies selected Sullivan in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Wake Forest.

Halvorsen, 26, is 0-1 with a 4.74 ERA, 15 walks and 17 strikeouts in 19 innings over 21 relief appearances this season. Colorado selected Halvorsen in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Tennessee.

Romano, 33, made 11 relief appearances earlier this season for the Los Angeles Angels and went 0-2 with four saves, a 10.13 ERA, six walks and 12 strikeouts in eight innings.

The Angels released him on April 27 and he signed with Colorado on May 6.

Romano has a career 22-23 record with 117 saves and a 3.92 ERA in 291 games, all in relief, with the Toronto Blue Jays (2019-24), Philadelphia Phillies (2025) and Angels (2026). He was an All-Star with the Blue Jays in 2022 and 2023.

He was 1-1 with one save and a 3.72 ERA in 10 relief appearances with the Rockies’ Rookie (one game) and Triple-A (nine) affiliates this year.

–Field Level Media