Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was voted in as the AL’s starting first baseman, said he intends to sit out the All-Star Game.
Guerrero has been struggling with his back for weeks now, so this seems to be for the best. He’ll still be credited with his sixth All-Star selection. If the AL replaces him with another first baseman (there’s still two on the roster in Nick Kurtz and Ben Rice), then Willson Contreras is most deserving, based on 2026 performance. Still, he might be bypassed in favor of Pete Alonso or Jonathan Aranda.