Ohtani voted NL's starting All-Star DH

LOS ANGELES -- Over the years -- especially the last decade -- the Dodgers have grown used to having players named All-Star Game starters. The 2014 Midsummer Classic will be no different.

The starters for the All-Star Game in Arlington were officially announced on Wednesday and the Dodgers will be represented by two-time Most Valuable Player Shohei Ohtani, who was named as the starting designated hitter, beating out Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber with 63 percent of the fan votes in Phase 2.

The Midsummer Classic is set for 5 p.m. PT on July 16 at Globe Life Field (FOX).

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Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández were among the finalists at shortstop and outfield, respectively, but both fell just short in the voting. Betts was edged out by Phillies shortstop and former teammate Trea Turner, who received 51 percent of the voting.

As for Hernández, his voting process also came down to the wire and fell short behind Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr., who received just under 3,000 more votes in Phase 2 than the Dodgers’ outfielder.

Both Betts and Hernández are expected to be named All-Star reserves when those rosters are unveiled next week. A couple of pitchers, who aren’t subject to fan voting, will also likely make the All-Star team.

For Betts, he was putting together an MVP-caliber campaign at shortstop before fracturing his left hand on June 16. Hernández, on the other hand, was one of the best signings of the offseason as the outfielder entered Wednesday second on the Dodgers with 58 RBIs and has come up clutch in big situations, including a walk-off single on Tuesday against the D-backs.

In his first season of a record 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers, Ohtani has more than lived up to expectations. Ohtani leads the NL with 27 homers and leads the Dodgers with 64 RBIs. His 4.9 bWAR coming into Wednesday’s game is the highest in Major League Baseball, putting him on track to win a third career MVP trophy.

This is Ohtani’s fourth career All-Star selection and the first in the National League.

Though Ohtani will be representing the Dodgers in the All-Star Game, the star slugger said Tuesday that he will not be participating in this year’s Home Run Derby. Ohtani participated in the '21 event at Coors Field and had expressed interest in doing it again this season.

But given Ohtani is still working back from a second major right elbow surgery last year, the Japanese superstar and the Dodgers came to the decision to sit out the event. Still, Ohtani will arguably be the biggest star at the game, a spotlight he has navigated through his entire career.