ARLINGTON -- After Corbin Burnes completed his final start of the first half on Wednesday, the Orioles¡¯ ace was asked whether he had decided if he¡¯d attend the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

¡°Not yet, not yet. There¡¯s two-week-old babies that are complicating things right now,¡± said Burnes, whose wife, Brooke, gave birth to twin daughters, Charlotte and Harper, on June 28.

With his wife¡¯s encouragement, Burnes will be at the Midsummer Classic -- and not only that, he¡¯ll be starting it.

On Monday, Burnes was announced as the starting pitcher for the American League, meaning he¡¯ll take the mound at Globe Life Field in Arlington for the top of the first inning to open Tuesday¡¯s All-Star Game (8 p.m. ET, FOX). It¡¯ll be the first ASG starting assignment for the 29-year-old right-hander, who is making his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance (although the previous three came in the National League with Milwaukee from 2021-23).

¡°First of all, I think you have to look at his r¨¦sum¨¦, what he's done in baseball,¡± said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, the skipper for the AL squad. ¡°He's had an incredible career. This is his fourth consecutive All-Star Game. What he's done this year in Baltimore, they're leading their division. He's a big reason for that.

¡°In my mind, it's just his time. It's his time to start an All-Star Game. That's why I chose him.¡±

It will be the first time a Baltimore pitcher has started an All-Star Game since Steve Stone in 1980. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer ('70, '72, '77 and '78) and Milt Pappas ('65) also started Midsummer Classics while representing the O¡¯s.

The AL team will have an all-Orioles battery, with catcher Adley Rutschman starting behind the plate. It¡¯s the first time a team has had both the starting pitcher and catcher at an All-Star Game since 2016, when Giants teammates Johnny Cueto and Buster Posey started for the National League.

When Rutschman was asked about Burnes¡¯ assignment at All-Star media day, the 26-year-old backstop hadn¡¯t yet heard the news.

¡°He is? Oh, that¡¯s sick. Awesome,¡± Rutschman said. ¡°I¡¯m super excited. That¡¯s going to be awesome. I¡¯ll feel very comfortable, very at home.¡±

¡°It¡¯s going to be special for both those guys,¡± said infielder Jordan Westburg, also among Baltimore¡¯s five All-Stars. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be fun. You¡¯re going to see some smiles, I¡¯m sure. Hopefully, he can put up a zero and get three outs.¡±

The NL lineup is topped by the trio of D-backs second baseman Ketel Marte, Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, so it won¡¯t be an easy task. But Burnes should be up for the challenge.

Acquired from the Brewers in a Feb. 1 trade, Burnes has been everything the Orioles expected he would be during the first half of his first season in Baltimore. The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner recorded a 2.43 ERA and a 1.045 WHIP in 19 starts, racking up 110 strikeouts over 118 2/3 innings.

Five O¡¯s starters have spent time on the injured list this season, with three of them -- Kyle Bradish (Tommy John surgery), John Means (Tommy John surgery) and Tyler Wells (UCL repair) -- out for the year. Meanwhile, Burnes has brought stability at the top of the rotation.

Burnes has completed at least five innings every time out, and he¡¯s allowed three or fewer earned runs in all but one outing -- June 22 at Houston, where he gave up four over a season-high-tying seven frames.

Of Burnes¡¯ 19 appearances, 15 have resulted in quality starts -- 10 of which came consecutively from April 26-June 16, a career-best streak for the seven-year MLB veteran.

¡°Just really consistently good. Like I said every time, he gives us a great chance to win every single time he takes the ball and goes out there,¡± manager Brandon Hyde said. ¡°He¡¯s just been a real rock in our rotation, been a No. 1 guy.¡±