Congrats to Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who was just named Sunday to next week’s National League All-Star team as a substitute. Even for those roles in next week’s midsummer classic, you have to have some significant performance going on. Some of what put Elly on the team includes his being only the 3rd major-leaguer to have knocked out 15 home runs and stolen 40 bases this early in the season. In fact, his 43 steals individually out-pace at least 5 entire teams. Elly will be the only Red on the NL roster for the All-Star Game, being played Tuesday the 16th at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
There was indeed some local flavor in the major leagues over the weekend. Batesville native pitcher Bryan Hoeing, who seems to have fully recovered from his recent hamstring strain, came off the injured list Friday, to start for the Miami Marlins against Chicago’s White Sox. Hoeing only went 3 innings in the 3-2 loss, but he struck out 4 Sox, and 32 of his 46 pitches that night were strikes. The longtime reliever now appears to be in the Marlins’ starting rotation. He’s due to start on the mound for them again Wednesday night, when Miami visits the Astros.
Racing over the weekend featured the Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Sunday. Fans got a thriller there, as Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward battled each other down to the final few laps, O’Ward managing to hold Palou off for the win, taking the checkered flag by just under half a second, the closest IndyCar finish of the season.